St. Lucia (Lucia ~ “light”) Day is a Christian holiday honoring a martyr named Lucia who died in the 3rd century. Her legend holds that she brought food — perhaps gluten free Saint Lucia Saffron Buns — and drink to Christians hiding in catacombs, lighting her way with a a candle-lit wreath she wore on her head, so her hands were free to carry her gifts.

The feast of St. Lucia (Saint Lucy) is always on December 13 (well into Advent, thus signaling the coming of Christmas), but it used to also be the Winter Solstice — the day with the least sunlight. In Scandinavian countries, this dark period would be particularly long.

With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, the date of the solstice was changed, but the tradition of Saint Lucia remained tied to December 13.

 

Festivals honoring Saint Lucia include the traditional procession of girls dressed as the Saint herself, all in white with a red sash and a wreath of candles on their heads, as they bear cookies and rolls and sing songs. Lussekatter are the iconic S-shaped buns we’re making with our gluten free St. Lucia Saffron Buns.

Oddly enough, I remember taking part in just such a ceremony at my school when I was in 3rd grade. I loved dressing like St. Lucia and learning the songs, but the treats must have left an impression too, as my memories of this activity so many years ago are still quite vivid. (And no, I’m not sharing a picture of my 3rd grade self!)

A dear friend at church shared a tattered Scandinavian cookbook with me a few years ago, which is where I found the base for what would become my gluten free recipe for St. Lucia Buns.

So you can feel quite authentic when you make them!

The saffron in these iconic buns plays a very important part, lending flavor and smell as well as the distinctive yellow hue.

Saffron has long been one of the world’s most expensive spices, used throughout history for medicinal/herbal treatments, perfume, flavor and even dyes.

Saffron can be quite pricey, so you’ll usually find it in very small quantities. Oddly enough, I’ve found saffron threads at stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s!

Just grind the dried threads with a mortar and pestle to measure the amount needed. You actually don’t even need a mortar and pestle: as you can see, any bowl and blunt-ended tool will do!

 

The dough for these saffron buns is shaped by twisting into a unique flourish on either end, adding to their distinctiveness as a symbol of this Advent holiday.

And while it may not be historically accurate to say that these buns were always gluten free, they’re equally delicious made that way in modern times, so why not?

Tradition holds that if you fully embrace the traditions of Saint Lucia Day, you will survive the long winter days with enough light. It seems to me that the best way to celebrate would be to bake these gluten free Saint Lucia Saffron Buns, don’t you think?

Wreath of candles or not, they’ll certainly spread joy and warmth on a cold winter’s night.

Don’t let the fact that this is a yeast dough intimidate you! My gfJules Flour works great in doughs like this because it’s light and there’s no grit, but there is some stretch with my flour, so it’s easy to work with and shape.

Just dissolve the yeast packed in warm milk:

Once mixed with my gfJules Flour and the remaining ingredients, the dough will be wet enough to roll but not so wet it’s sticky.

Then you just have to harken back to your playdough days and form logs of dough, then twist the ends and finish off with a raisin. It’s easy!

 

I know you’re going to love these gorgeous buns, but if you should have any rolls left over, they make a fantastic overnight gluten free French Toast Casserole!

Happy Saint Lucia Day!

Gluten Free Saint Lucia Saffron Buns

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

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