Swedish tea ring is a yeast bread that is shaped into a ring, filled with a cinnamon sugar mixture and topped with a simple glaze.
Swedish Tea Ring
What is a Swedish tea ring? The origin of this traditional yeast bread is hard to pinpoint, but the name suggests this yeast bread was meant to be served with tea or coffee and was traditionally served around the Holiday season in Scandinavian countries. However, Swedish tea ring can be eaten any time of year and is great to make for breakfast or brunch.
Swedish tea ring recipes appear in several vintage cookbooks, which helped popularize them in the U.S. I found recipes in several of my vintage cookbooks, including my 1940’s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and my 1960’s Betty Crocker Picture cookbook.
This yeast bread is traditionally flavored with either cardamom or cinnamon and the filling often contains dried fruits such as raisins, dates or currants and chopped nuts. Swedish tea ring is then topped with a simple sweet glaze and can be garnished with colored candies around the Holiday season.
How to Make a Swedish Tea Ring
This recipe for this Swedish tea ring originated in the 1960’s and yields 2 tea rings (one for you, one to give away!)
While this Swedish tea ring does look time consuming to make, it really is no different than rolling out dough for cinnamon rolls and the end result is a beautiful tea ring to serve to your family and friends!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (0.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water, heated to 110 ° F
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
For the filling
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, unsalted butter and salt. Heat over low heat until the mixture reaches 110 ° F (if mixture goes above 110 ° F, allow to cool until it reaches 110 ° F again).
Combine the active dry yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Stir and allow to sit until bubbly.
Place the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add in 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Add in the yeast mixture and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add in the remaining flour to make a soft dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl (you may not need the last 1/2 cup).
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Alternately, knead the dough using the dough hook of a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and placed in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, but not hot, area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down and then turn out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough in 2 and roll each half into a rectangle about 13” by 9” in size.
Spread each rectangle with half of the melted butter and half of the cinnamon sugar filling. Roll up each rectangle horizontally and seal the edges. Shape each roll into a circle or ring on a lined baking sheet. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut 2/3 of the way into the roll at 1 1/2” – 2”intervals. Twist each cut section on its side, so the filling is facing up.
Cover and let rise in a warm, but not hot place until rings have doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Bake at 350° F for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top.
Once Swedish tea rings are cool, combine the ingredients for the glaze, adding enough water to make it a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over tea rings and serve when glaze has set.
Tips for Swedish Tea Ring
- Adjust baking time if making one larger tea ring by 8-10 minutes until the top of the tea ring is golden brown (alternately, can bake until the internal temperature of the ring reaches 190° F on an instant read thermometer).
- Baked, frozen rolls will keep up to 4 months, if sealed
- Store baked tea ring at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 48 hours
Made this recipe? Comment or rate below or on Pinterest or Instagram!
Want more yeast bread recipes?
Swedish Tea Ring
Equipment
- mixing bowls of various sizes or stand mixer
- baking sheets or sheet pan
- small saucepan
- kitchen shears or sharp knife
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (0.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water, heated to 110° F
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
For the filling
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt. Heat over low heat until the mixture reaches 110°F (if mixture goes above 110℉, allow to cool until it reaches 110℉ again).
- Combine the 1 (0.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Stir and allow to sit until bubbly.
- Place the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add in 2 cups of the 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Add in the yeast mixture and 2 eggs. Beat for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add in the remaining flour to make a soft dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl (you may not need the last 1/2 cup of the 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour).
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Alternately, knead the dough using the dough hook of a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and placed in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, but not hot, area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and then turn out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough in 2 (*see tips below if shaping into one large tea ring) and roll each half into a rectangle about 13” by 9” in size.
- Spread each rectangle with 1 T of the melted butter(2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, total) and half of the cinnamon sugar filling (3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon total).
- Roll up each rectangle horizontally and seal the edges. Shape each roll into a circle or ring on a lined baking sheet. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut 2/3 of the way into the roll at 1 1/2” – 2”intervals. Twist each cut section on its side, so the filling is facing up.
- Cover and let rise in a warm, but not hot place until rings have doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- Bake at 350℉ for 20-25 minutes or until the ring is golden on top.
- Once Swedish tea rings are cool, combine the ingredients for the glaze(1 cup powdered sugar), adding enough of the water to make it a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over tea rings and serve when glaze has set.
Notes
- Adjust baking time if making one larger tea ring by 8-10 minutes until the top of the tea ring is golden brown (alternately, can bake until the internal temperature of the ring reaches 190 on an instant read thermometer).
- Baked, frozen rolls will keep up to 4 months, if sealed
- Store baked tea ring at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 48 hours
Leave a Reply