Swedish Cheese Buns (Ostfrallor)

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

(*This post contains some affiliate links)

These cheese buns are so good, 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 at (almost) any coffee shop in the morning in Stockholm, and you will see these buns prepared with some 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 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 cheese buns.

• Butter – unsalted and softened.

• Salt – use a bit less if you are using salted butter.

• Milk – full 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 (photo 1).

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 (photo 2).

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 buns dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl (photo 3).

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until it doubles in size — usually takes about ninety minutes.

Deflate the dough by punching it in the center and transfer it to a flat surface to knead it a bit.

Cut it into six equal portions (photo 4).

Form each portion into a ball and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper (photo 5).

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 (photo 6).

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

• The cheese buns 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 buns if that’s what you prefer.  

This recipe yields six-cheese buns that’s perfectly sized for making 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

Looks absolutely yummy, right?  Well, they are! So, give these Swedish cheese buns a try this weekend and let me know!