Norwegian Rhubarb Custard Buns (rabarbra skoleboller)
After a 20+ day hiatus, I am back! I just wrapped up my second year of law school, and it is so crazy to think that I only have one more year left. This summer, I will be working as a certified student attorney doing public defender work for the southern metro in Minneapolis. While I will be busy this summer, I am excited to cook and bake with all of the seasonal produce in my free time.
Speaking of seasonal produce…my first recipe back is using RHUBARB! Rhubarb has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s such a beloved spring staple here in the Midwest. It also happens to be my dad’s favorite produce. He requests it in pies, crisps, cobblers—whatever you can possibly put rhubarb in—he loves it!
I fondly remember one of my first memories of eating rhubarb. We picked it from our rhubarb plant on our farm, and when we got back into the house, my mom washed it, and my dad brought over a cup of sugar. He told me to dip the stalk into the sugar and bite it. I thought it was such a strange concept, but anything sugar-related, I was down to try. When I took my first bite, it was an explosion of tart, sour, earthiness, and sweetness all at once. Since that day, rhubarb has become my favorite spring produce, too.
Okay, let’s get to the recipe. These are skoleboller, a classic Norwegian pastry that translates to “school bread.” They became popular in the 1950s when moms packed them in lunchboxes for their kids, but now they are an evergreen treat in almost all Norwegian bakeries.
It is a tender, soft, pillowy cardamom-infused bun traditionally baked with a vanilla custard and coated with white icing and shredded coconut. It’s my all-time favorite pastry. I wanted to add a spring twist to these by adding homemade rhubarb puree to the custard. This gives it a nice tang, and the rhubarb pairs wonderfully with the cardamom and coconut.
These require a little effort to make, but I promise that this will be the best pastry you will ever have—and it is a nice way to use up a couple of stalks of rhubarb if you have them lying around. If you aren’t a fan of rhubarb, feel free to leave it out, and you’ll have a classic skoleboller. Happy baking!
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 18 minutes (plus 1 1/2 hours rise time)
Yields: 8 buns
Ingredients:
For the buns
1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F
1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 large egg
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground cardamom
For the egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
For the rhubarb puree:
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (from 2-3 large red stalks)
2 tbsp cane sugar
squeeze of lemon juice
For the custard:
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cane sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
the rhubarb puree (should be about 1/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter
optional: natural red food coloring (for a pink custard)
For finishing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp whole milk
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Method:
For the buns:
In a small bowl, add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar and mix to combine. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy and activated.
To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the milk mixture, the egg, flour, salt, and cardamom. Knead on low for 8 minutes. Add the unsalted butter, and knead on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic. It should be soft, but not too sticky. TIP: You can break off a piece of the dough and try the windowpane test to see if the gluten has been properly developed. This is done by taking a piece of dough and stretching it between your fingers. If it breaks easily, it needs more time in the mixer. If it doesn’t break easily, and you can see light through it (like a window), then your dough is ready.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Depending on the humidity and temperature in your home, this may take more or less time.
For the rhubarb puree:
While the dough is rising, make the puree. Simmer all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until the rhubarb is softened—about 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend into a puree. Let cool.
For the custard:
After making the puree, make the custard. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, cane sugar, cornstarch, and kosher salt until combined. Whisk in the whole milk, cooled rhubarb puree, and vanilla bean paste.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles (think pudding texture).
Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the unsalted butter and natural red food coloring if you’re using it. I like to use this because it brings back the pink hue of the rhubarb. Use as much or as little as you like.
You can run the custard through a fine mesh sieve if you want, but since we are using a rhubarb puree in this, I didn’t want to remove any of the rhubarb, so I didn’t strain it this time. Usually, I would do that to create a smoother texture, but it doesn’t really matter.
Let the custard cool with plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
Assembly and baking:
After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll into smooth balls.
Place the buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the back of a tablespoon or regular spoon, gently press deep wells into the center of each bun.
Fill each well with 1-2 tbsp of the rhubarb custard. You’ll have extra custard. Store it in the fridge and use it for whatever you like.
Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp of water in a bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash onto the buns.
Bake the buns for 16-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and have an internal temperature of 190°F. Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet.
For finishing:
Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until combined.
Place the coconut in a shallow bowl or plate.
Once the buns are slightly cooled but still warm, brush the icing onto them (avoid the custard). Then, immediately transfer them to the bowl of coconut and pack the coconut onto the iced parts of the bun.
Enjoy! These are best eaten the day they are baked, but they can be kept in an airtight container for about two days. Just warm them slightly to enjoy.
