I grew up with Semla being the ultimate treat from the cozy post-Christmas season all the way to early summer. This dreamy pastry starts with a soft, cardamom bun, filled with creamy roasted almond paste and fluffy whipped cream, then dusted with powdered sugar. It’s pure nostalgia in every bite!
For the pre-dough:
- 2 dl milk (0.85 cups)
- 4 dl all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 25 g fresh yeast (7 g dry yeast)
For the main dough:
- 3 dl all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cups)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 100 g butter, room temperature
- 1 dl granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
For the roasted almond filling:
- 350 g almond paste (marsipan)
- 1 dl roasted sweet almonds (0.4 cups)
- 0.5 dl chopped sweet almonds ( 0.2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon crushed cardamom seeds
- 2.5 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- 1.5 dl powdered sugar (0.6 cups)
- 1.5 dl milk (0.6 cups)
For serving:
- 5 dl (3 1/4 cup) whipped cream
- Roasted chopped almonds
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Pre-Dough
Warm the milk to lukewarm temperature (about 37°C or 98°F). Combine the milk, yeast and a tbsp of the sugar in a stand mixer. Cover and let bloom for 10 min. Add flour to the mixture and mix on medium speed until it comes together into a dough. Let the pre-dough rest for about 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap. - Main Dough
Add the remaining ingredients to the pre-dough. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute, then increase the speed slightly and knead for about 7 minutes until the dough becomes shiny and elastic. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, about 85 g each. Roll each piece into a ball using your hands and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1.5–2 hours. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake the buns in the oven for 8–10 minutes, or until they are golden brown. - Almond Filling
Combine all the ingredients for the filling, except the milk, into a paste. Gradually add the milk, mixing well until the filling is smooth and creamy. Transfer the almond filling into a piping bag. - Assembly and Serving
Once the buns have cooled, cut a small triangular lid on the top of each bun and remove it. Fill the buns with the almond filling. Whip the cream to your desired consistency and place it in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe the whipped cream over the almond filling and around the bun. Replace the lids and press gently to allow the cream to puff out slightly from the sides.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately!