At the homestead
The hedgerow in our small New England homestead was bursting with purple-blue berries through the month of August. The fruits looked so pretty in their round perfection, glistening when coated in the late summer morning dew. Basket and shears in hand, I spent several hours pruning the bushes and harvesting the berries lately, and I am happy to report that my labor of love wasn’t in vain.
In the last two weeks I have gathered so many blueberries that I’ve had to get creative with utilizing them. I’ve been making preserves, breakfast parfaits, salads, sauces, syrups, and batches of sweet blueberry cream skolebrød, e.g., Norwegian sweet buns with a custard center. I’ve also been feeding some to my domesticated chipmunks and cottontails out in the yard, but that’s a different story(book).
In this vegan version of skolebrød, I used almond yogurt to recreate the indulgent creamy center that would otherwise be made of egg custard. Topped with a handful of my hand-picked hedgerow blueberries, and a dusting of cardamom and sugar, these buns are the epitome of late summer days. You can also bake them to entertain a fun “return to -school party” with the kids and neighbors, since in Norway these sweet buns are consumed as a school snack, hence the name skole + brød = school bread.
Serve the blueberry buns when still warm, before the creamy center sets, or at room temperature with a cup of cold almond and chocolate milk.
Prep Time: 30 min | Proof Time: 2 to 2½ hrs | Bake Time: 18-20 min | Makes: 6 large buns
Ingredients
- 3 c all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 ¼ c lukewarm plant-based milk
- ⅓ c raw cane sugar, or white sugar
- 4 tbsp plant-based butter
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ to 2 tsp ground cardamom
… plus
- 6 tbsp almond yogurt
- 6 tbsp fresh blueberries
optional toppings
- Granulated sugar of sugar crystals
- Agave or maple syrup to brush the buns with
- Jam wash to glaze
Method
In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk and infuse with the ground cardamom. Set aside until lukewarm.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and sugar, form a well in the center, and pour in the lukewarm milk. Sprinkle the dry yeast over the milk and combine with a wooden spoon until the ingredients start to come together into a sticky dough.
Tip the bowl over a floured pastry board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a soft and uniform dough is obtained. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Waiting for the dough to rise… a little bread-making magic
Gently remove the dough from the bowl, knead a couple of times, and divide into 6 pieces. Form 6 individual balls and arrange them on a baking pan lined with oven-safe parchment paper. Be sure to leave plenty of space amongst the buns, as they will grow once in the oven. Press down in the center of the dough balls, either with the back of a ¼ size measuring cup or simply with your fingers, until you touch the bottom of the baking pan. The cream and berries will nestle into these wells, so it’s important to have basins deep enough to avoid spillage during baking. Put 1 abundant tablespoon of yogurt in the well and top with 1 tbsp of blueberries and a sprinkle of sugar, if using any. Cover with a clean towel and set aside for a quick second proof, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
If you want to glaze the buns, not it’s the time to do it. Brush the buns with agave or maple syrup or a mild jam wash (gooseberry, peach, or apricot would work nicely in this case). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes if you want to serve them warm or let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes if serving with a set cream center.
Extras and Tips
I like mine with no glaze nor sugar, but sometimes these little tweaks are needed to sweeten up the buns, for instance when the berries are too tart, especially if those are wild harvested. About the cardamom, I use 1 ½ tsp instead of 2 when I crush cardamom pods. I find that the pods offer a more potent aroma than the pre-ground cardamom powder. Adjust depending on which kind you use.
