Norwegian Vanilla Custard Coconut Buns (skoleboller)
For my Norwegian bakery pop-up, I wanted to have a mix of traditional Norwegian baked goods and some pastries with Nordic flavors and influences. This is my recipe for skoleboller—Norwegian school buns. These became popular in the country in the 1950s when moms began putting them in their kid’s lunch boxes. Now, they are one of the most popular pastries in the country.
These buns are enriched with freshly ground cardamom. They are super soft and tender and get baked with a generous portion of vanilla custard in the center. Once they are out of the oven, they get glazed and rolled in coconut. This is my favorite baked good to eat and make—it is simply the best. Try it out, and let me know what you think!
Tip: If you want to prep these to serve the next day, check out step #8 in the method for directions on how to do this.
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours (includes rise time)
Yields: 20 buns
Ingredients:
For the buns—
2 cups whole milk
scant 1/2 cup cane sugar
4 tsp active dry yeast
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp freshly ground cardamom (pre-ground is fine, but I highly encourage you to ground your own—it is infinitely better)
1/2 tsp kosher salt (like Diamond Crystal)
6 tbsp salted butter, softened and sliced
1 egg and 1 tbsp milk (for egg wash)
For the custard—
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup cane sugar
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 tbsp salted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the coconut and glaze—
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Method:
Microwave your whole milk in 15-second intervals until it reaches a temp of 110°F. If it goes over, allow it to cool back down to 110°F before using. If it is too warm, it will kill your yeast :(
Combine the sugar and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment ready in place. Pour in the 110°F milk and stir gently to combine. Let this sit for about 5 minutes or until it is nice and foamy.
Add the bread flour, freshly ground cardamom, and salt into the yeast mixture. Mix on low for 1 minute or until the dough just comes together.
While the mixer is still running, add the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. To test this, pinch some dough and slowly pull away. If it tears quickly, knead it for a few more minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball with your hands, place it back into the mixing bowl, and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. Proofing time will be different for everyone—it all depends on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
While the dough is rising, you can make the custard (this custard recipe makes a large portion so that you can save the rest for other recipes, like my Norwegian Cinnamon Sun Buns). Place the milk and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan and heat on low until warm (but not boiling), about 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until there are no lumps and the mixture ribbons off of your whisk. Slowly pour your vanilla milk into the large bowl while whisking constantly. Transfer the custard back to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the custard thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat if you notice the egg starting to curdle. Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the butter and salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 20 equal balls and place them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart from one another. Use your tablespoon to create a well in the middle to place about 3 tbsp of custard (don’t put too much, or it will overflow while baking.) TIP: At this point, you can do one of two things. If you want to bake these buns the day you’re baking them, cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes. If you want to bake them the next day, cover them with plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring them out and let them come to room temp. Then bake them as the next directions lay out in the next step.
While the second rise is taking place, preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the buns with the egg wash (don’t brush the custard) and bake until golden brown. Mine usually are perfect at the 18-minute mark (once the internal temp is 205°F, they are good to take out.) Remove the buns from the pan right away and place on a wire rack.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and water to make the glaze. Brush the buns with the glaze while they are still warm, and pat on the shredded coconut promptly. Do not put the coconut or glaze on the custard, just the sides.
Serve warm or at room temp. To store, place them in a plastic bag or airtight container and keep them at room temp for 2 days. Enjoy!!
