Skolebrød
Custard-filled cardamom buns topped with white glaze and toasted coconut — the "school bread" classic.
Cultural Context & History
A lunchbox legend reborn as a café star, skolebrød cradles a pool of vanilla custard in a soft cardamom bun, finished with sweet glaze and a ring of coconut.
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 75 g sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 packet dried yeast
- 75 g butter
- 300 ml milk
- For the filling: 200 ml vanilla custard (vaniljekrem)
- For the glaze: 150 g icing sugar, 2 tbsp water, 50 g grated coconut
Recommended Tools
- Stand mixer with dough hookWorks the butter-enriched dough to a springy crumb.
- Bench scraperPortions the dough into twelve even buns.
- Wire cooling rackCools the buns fully so the glaze sets rather than slides.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Work the flour, sugar, cardamom and yeast together with the butter and warm milk to a soft, smooth dough. Knead until springy, then cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
- 2
Divide into 12 buns, flatten each slightly, and press a deep well into the centre with your thumb or the back of a spoon.
- 3
Spoon the vanilla custard into each well and prove for a further 30 minutes.
- 4
Bake at 225°C (435°F) for 10-12 minutes, until golden, then cool completely on a rack.
- 5
Whisk the icing sugar with the water to a thick, spreadable glaze.
- 6
Spread the glaze in a ring around the custard centre and, while it is still wet, dip straight into the grated coconut.
Chef's Tip
Make the vaniljekrem a day ahead and chill it firm — a set custard sits proud in the well instead of sinking through the crumb as the buns prove.
Chef's Tip
Glaze and dip only the ring, leaving the custard eye bare, for the clean two-tone finish that marks a proper skolebrød.
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