Skolebrød — Norway's custard-filled coconut school buns

i. Origin & history

Skolebrød belong to the Norwegian tradition of boller — soft, sweet wheat buns made from a cardamom-flavoured yeast dough — which became everyday fare in the twentieth century once white flour, sugar and butter were affordable. The custard-filled version with icing and coconut seems to have emerged in the mid-twentieth century, and its name is generally explained by its popularity as a treat bought by, or given to, schoolchildren. It is sometimes said to have originated in Bergen, though its precise origins are unclear, and it is now made throughout Norway.

Today skolebrød are sold in almost every Norwegian bakery, café, petrol station and supermarket, and they are one of the most common items in a Norwegian kaffe og kake moment. They are also a staple of school bake sales, children's birthdays and the cake tables of sports clubs and voluntary organisations.

The appeal lies in contrast: the soft, slightly sweet bun; the cool, thick vanilla custard; the sweet, crackly icing; and the chewy coconut. The look is part of it too — the yellow custard surrounded by a white ring of coconut is instantly recognisable to Norwegians and has been compared to a fried egg.

Skolebrød are close cousins of Danish custard pastries such as spandauer and Swedish vaniljbullar, but those are usually made with laminated pastry or filled after baking. Skolebrød use a plain enriched bun dough with the custard baked in, and the coconut topping is distinctly Norwegian.

ii. How the custard survives the oven

Most custards would boil, split or run in a hot oven, but the custard in skolebrød is baked inside the bun. The trick is a thick, starch-bound custard — a vaniljekrem made with milk, egg yolks, sugar and a generous amount of cornflour, boiled until very thick and then chilled. The starch stabilises the egg proteins so they do not curdle, and the custard sets firm enough to be piped and to hold its shape during the short bake.

The bun dough itself is a classic Norwegian bolledeig: flour, milk, butter, sugar, yeast and cardamom. After the buns are shaped and proved, a deep well is pressed into the centre of each one. That well needs to be deep and wide — the dough springs back in the oven — so that it holds a good amount of custard without overflowing.

The bake is short and hot, around 200–220 °C for about 10 minutes, so the buns stay soft and the custard has little time to dry or overcook. A brush of egg on the bun gives a golden colour, while the custard stays pale yellow.

The icing goes on only when the buns are fully cool, or it melts and runs. A thick glaze of icing sugar and water is spread around the custard, and the coconut is pressed into it before it sets, leaving the yellow centre exposed.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 14 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 300 ml whole milk, for the custard
• 3 egg yolks
• 60 g caster sugar, for the custard
• 35 g cornflour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
• 300 ml whole milk, for the dough
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 7 g instant dried yeast
• 80 g caster sugar, for the dough
• 2 tsp freshly ground cardamom
• ½ tsp salt
• 550 g plain or strong white flour
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
• 200 g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp water or milk, for the icing
• 60 g desiccated coconut

The custard must be thick: the cornflour is what makes it bake-stable. Some bakers use instant vanilla custard powder made with less milk than the packet suggests, which is common in Norway and works well. Freshly ground cardamom gives the authentic flavour. Plain flour gives the softest buns; strong flour gives a slightly chewier, higher bun. Use fine desiccated coconut, not large flakes, for the classic look.

iv. Method

1. Make the custard: heat 300 ml milk until steaming. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour, pour in the hot milk while whisking, then return to the pan and cook, whisking, until very thick and bubbling for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla, cover the surface and chill completely.
2. Make the dough: warm 300 ml milk with the butter until melted, then cool to lukewarm (about 37 °C). Stir in the yeast, sugar, cardamom and salt, then add the flour and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise for 45–60 minutes, until doubled.
3. Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Place on two lined trays, flatten slightly, cover and prove for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F), or 200 °C fan. Press a deep, wide well into the centre of each bun with your fingers or the base of a small glass, leaving a thick rim.
5. Brush the rims with beaten egg. Beat the cold custard until smooth and pipe or spoon a generous tablespoon into each well.
6. Bake for 9–11 minutes until the buns are golden and cooked through. Cool completely on a rack.
7. Mix the icing sugar with the water to a thick, spreadable icing. Spread it around the custard on each bun, then dip or sprinkle with coconut, leaving the custard centre uncovered.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Make the custard very thick. A soft custard runs over the edges in the oven. Boil it fully and chill it well.
• Press the wells deeply. The dough rises in the oven and closes shallow wells. Make them deeper and wider than looks necessary.
• Bake hot and short. A quick, hot bake keeps the buns soft and the custard creamy.
• Cool before icing. Icing on warm buns melts and slides off, taking the coconut with it.
• Keep the icing thick. Thin icing runs into the custard. It should be spreadable, like soft toothpaste.
• Eat them fresh. Skolebrød are best the day they are baked; the custard softens the bun overnight.

vi. Variations

Some bakeries use white glaze without coconut, while others top with pearl sugar. Skolebrød with chocolate add a chocolate icing ring. A larger tray version, skolebrød i langpanne, is cut into squares. In Sweden, vaniljbullar are filled with custard and rolled in sugar; in Denmark, spandauer use laminated Danish pastry.

For other Nordic buns, see the Swedish cardamom bun and the cream-filled semla. For Norwegian bakes, try the cardamom doughnut smultring and the almond suksessterte. Around the world, Japan's anpan and melon pan are other beloved filled bakery buns.

vii. Serving & storage

Serve skolebrød at room temperature with coffee, tea or a glass of cold milk. They are ideal for children's parties, packed lunches and bake sales, and they are the classic Norwegian 'something sweet' to go with afternoon coffee.

They are best on the day they are baked and keep for 1–2 days covered in a cool place; because of the custard, keep them in the fridge in warm weather. Un-iced buns freeze well for up to a month: thaw at room temperature, then ice and add coconut before serving.

ix. More from Scandinavian

• Cardamom Bun — Swedish kardemummabulle
• Semla — Swedish cream bun
• Smultring — Norwegian cardamom doughnuts
• Bløtkake — Norwegian cream layer cake
• Anpan — Japanese sweet-bean buns
• Lamingtons — Australian coconut squares