How to Bake School Buns (Tasty and Traditional Norwegian Skolleboller)

Written by Kira Jan

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References

School buns (also called skolleboller, school bread, or old-school custard buns) are a popular Norwegian traditional sweet roll. To enjoy school buns, create a standard sweet dough, then mix up a creamy custard topping, and add a dusting of coconut. We’ll walk you through all the steps to bake these sweet treats in just under 2 hours.

Ingredients

4 cups (640g) bread flour
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp salt (6g)
2 1/2 tsp (10g) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups (296mL) milk
7 tbsp (100g) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cup (300ml) heavy cream (thickened cream)
1 ¾ oz (50g) instant pudding mix
1 egg, lightly beaten for glaze
powdered sugar and/or coconut flakes to dust

Yields 12 buns

Method 1

Method 1 of 11:
Prepare the dry ingredients.

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Add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a bowl. Put the ingredients in a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook if you’d prefer not to mix by hand.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 11:
Combine the wet ingredients.

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Mix the wet ingredients. Microwave the milk in short increments until it’s lukewarm (about 100 °F (38 °C)), then pour it into a bowl with the melted butter and vanilla.^{[2]
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Research source} In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs with a fork until the yolks and whites are just combined.^{[3]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 11:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

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Use a stand mixer or spatula. Pour the wet ingredients and the eggs into the dry ingredients, and mix for 5-6 minutes in a stand mixer (until the dough is smooth and elastic). If you’re mixing by hand, mix until the dough is just sticky, then knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.^{[4]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 11:
Leave the dough to proof.

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Put the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place the bowl somewhere warm for 1 hour (or until the dough has more than doubled in size). On a warm day, you can leave the bowl with the dough on the counter to rise.^{[5]
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- If your kitchen is cold, put your dough bowl next to a bowl of hot water, and cover them both together under a box or a towel. Alternatively, put the dough in the microwave oven (without turning it on) and just use the microwave light to add a little warmth.^{[6]
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- To grease the bowl, pour a drizzle of olive oil onto a paper towel and rub the paper towel over the bowl until you have a thin, even coat of oil. The exact amount of oil doesn’t matter since the paper towel will soak up the excess.^{[7]
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- Refrigerate the dough if you’d like to use it later.

Method 5

Method 5 of 11:
Make the custard.

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Mix the cream and the pudding mix in a stand mixer. Whip the cream/pudding mixture for 2-3 minutes until it’s thick.^{[8]
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- If you don’t have a stand mixer, use hand-held beaters.
- Refrigerate the custard until you’re ready to use it.
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Method 6

Method 6 of 11:
Preheat the oven.

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Set the oven to 355 °F (179 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.^{[9]
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Method 7

Method 7 of 11:
Divide the dough and let it proof again.

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Split the dough in 12 portions on a floured surface. Knead the dough before you split it so it’ll be easier to divide. Roll the portions into balls and place them on your prepared tray. Each piece should be about the size of a lemon or 3.8 oz./110g. Use a clean tea towel to cover the tray and leave the dough in a warm place to rise for another 30 minutes.^{[10]
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Method 8

Method 8 of 11:
Add the custard filling.

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Use a small spoon to make indents in the buns. Press the spoon lightly into the dough enough to flatten it slightly and make a shallow divot. Scoop a dollop of custard into the indent enough so you fill the divot but don’t have custard spilling out.^{[11]
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Method 9

Method 9 of 11:
Glaze the buns.

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Create an egg wash. Lightly beat an egg with a fork until you’ve broken up and mixed in the yolk. Then evenly brush the egg wash over the tops of the buns (but not the custard) with a pastry brush.^{[12]
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Method 10

Method 10 of 11:
Bake the buns.

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Set a timer for 20 minutes. Two to three minutes before your timer is up, check on the buns. No matter whether you’re a little short of twenty minutes or a little over, the buns will be done when they’re golden brown.^{[13]
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Method 11

Method 11 of 11:
Dust the buns with your topping.

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Grab powdered sugar or coconut shavings. Choose coconut to go with the traditional topping and powdered sugar if you don’t have coconut on hand.^{[14]
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Research source} Once the buns have cooled, dust the buns with your topping of choice. Either use a sifter to shake the powdered sugar over the tops, or sprinkle your coconut shavings the way you’d sprinkle salt.^{[15]
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