Swedish Cheese Buns, locally known as ‘Ostfrallor,’ are easy to make—even without a stand mixer! They’re deliciously soft bread that’s great for breakfast or for making sandwiches any time of the day!

Similar to limpa bread, these Swedish cheese buns are so good that you can eat them on their own, but they’re also excellent with butter or marmalade.
The best part? They are perfect for making sandwiches.
You don’t believe me? Drop by (almost) any coffee shop in the morning in Stockholm, and you will see these ostfrallor prepared with cured meat, vegetables, and cheese—all wrapped in plastic—as part of ‘to-go breakfast.’
Now you can give them a try yourself!
IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL SWEDISH BREAKFAST RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Flour – I strongly suggest using bread flour for this cheese buns recipe.
- Honey – just use your favorite brand.
- Egg – you would only be using this for the egg wash.
- Yeast – I always use active dry yeast for making Swedish breakfast buns.
- Butter – unsalted and softened.
- Salt – use a bit less if you are using salted butter.
- Milk – whole cream milk, if possible.
- Cheese – I always use grated Emmental cheese for making ostfrallor (note that you would only be using the cheese on top of the buns).
Preparation
Start preparing your cheese bread by combining half a cup of warm milk, half a cup of warm water, and the yeast.
Mix and set aside until it becomes foamy.
Combine flour and salt in your stand mixer bowl and mix.
Add the yeast mixture, honey, and butter.
Mix with a paddle attachment until a dough starts to form, then switch to a dough hook and keep mixing until you get a smooth dough.
Form the cheese bun dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until it doubles in size — usually takes about ninety minutes.
Punch the dough in the center to deflate it, then transfer it to a flat surface to knead it a bit.
Cut it into six equal portions.
Form each portion into a ball and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Cover with a kitchen cloth and set aside until they increase in size (generally takes at least thirty minutes).
Once the buns are almost ready, preheat your oven to 220°C (400 to 420°F).
Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg with two tablespoons of water.
Brush each bun with the egg wash, then (generously) top it with the grated cheese.
Place the cheese buns in the middle of the oven for twenty-five to thirty minutes, or until they turned golden.
Set aside to cool.
Serve your ostfrallor with your favorite jam, butter or use them for making sandwiches!
Helpful tips
- This cheese bun dough is easy to handle, and manual kneading is an excellent workaround if you don’t have a stand mixer.
- Do not use all the flour right away.
Instead, start with the amount in cups, then slowly add the remaining flour in tablespoons if the dough is too wet.
- It’s completely fine to use pre-grated cheese — that’s what I always do when I prepare ostfrallor.
- Feel free to form your ostfrallor into smaller cheese buns if that’s what you prefer.
This Swedish recipe yields six cheese buns that’s perfectly sized for serving with hamburgers as well.
Recipe variation
- All-purpose flour. You can use all-purpose flour, but the result would not be as soft and fluffy.
Also, note that the dough will be more wet because it needs less moisture than bread flour.
- Other cheese. Gruyere is a great alternative when you cannot find Emmental cheese.
FAQ
Absolutely.
Ensure they’re completely cooled, then wrap them tightly before placing them in the freezer for extended storage.
Looks absolutely yummy, right? Well, they are! So, try these Swedish cheese buns this weekend and let me know!
OR GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF BREAKFAST RECIPES AROUND THE WORLD!
FOR MORE GLOBAL DISHES, CHECK OUT THESE INTERNATIONAL RECIPES BY COUNTRY!
Swedish Cheese Buns Recipe (Ostfrallor)
Equipment
Ingredients
Cheese bread dough:
- 2 & 1/4 tsp yeast
- 1/2 cup milk, warm
- 1 & 1/2 tsp honey
- 360 to 390 grams flour (about 2 & 1/3 cups + 3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 25 grams butter (about 2 tablespoons), softened
Egg wash & topping:
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup cheese, grated & heaping
Instructions
Preparing dough for cheese buns:
- Start by combining warm milk with 1/2 cup of warm water and the yeast.
- Mix and set aside until it becomes foamy.
- Using your stand mixer's bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture, honey, and softened butter.
- Use a paddle attachment to mix until a dough starts to form.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and continue mixing until you get a smooth dough.
- Form the cheese bread dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl.
- Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until it doubles in size. It typically takes about 90 minutes.
- Punch the dough in the center to deflate it and transfer it on a flat surface to knead it a bit.
- Cut it into six equal portions.
- Form each portion into a ball and place each ball on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Cover with a kitchen cloth and set aside until they increase in size (usually takes at least 30 minutes).
Baking homemade ostfrallor:
- Once the buns are almost ready, preheat your oven to 220°C (400 to 420°F).
- Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg with two tablespoons of water.
- Brush each bun with the egg wash, then add the grated cheese on top (generously).
- Place the baking tray in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they turned golden.
- Set aside to cool.
- Serve your cheese buns with your favorite marmalade, butter or with some cured meat for sandwiches!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: This dough is easy to handle and kneading with your hands is an excellent workaround if you don’t have a stand mixer.
- Cook’s Tip #2: Do not use all the flour immediately. Start with the amount in cups, then slowly add the remaining flour in tablespoons if the dough is too wet.
- Cook’s Tip #3: There is nothing wrong with using pre-grated cheese — that’s what I always use when I prepare these Swedish cheese buns.
- Cook’s Tip #4: Do not hesitate to form them into smaller cheese buns if that’s what you prefer. This recipe yields six ostfrallor that’s perfectly sized for serving with hamburgers as well.
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