Swedish Rye Flour Breakfast Rolls ("Frallor")

with sliced cheese and cucumbers.

Breakfast rolls are a huge part of weekly life across Scandinavia, and are commonly eaten with butter, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and sliced cucumbers in the mornings. They come in many different versions, but here’s a simple recipe using a blend of rye and all-purpose flour, and dipped in black sesame seeds before baking. I served mine with cheddar and brown cheese (a Norwegian caramelized goat cheese), but you can top them with jam, avocado, or any other preferred breakfast spread.

To describe the consistency of these, I would say they’re more similar to a classic dinner roll or sandwich bread rather than a rustic loaf. BUT, rustic, sourdough breakfast buns are also on my list of recipes to develop so if that sounds more like your typa roll, stay tuned.

Tips

• If using active dry yeast instead of instant, start by activating the yeast by warming the milk and water to 98ºF (no hotter as it will kill the yeast) and combining it in the bowl with the yeast, sugar, and honey. Stir, then set aside until the yeast starts to foam slightly, about 5 minutes.

• To perform the windowpane test, grab a small piece of dough and stretch it into a thin sheet between your hands. If you can easily stretch it so thin you can see light coming through, you’ve kneaded enough. If it breaks easily, keep kneading. Because it has rye, it won’t be perfect.

• If your kitchen is cold, make a fake proofing box in your oven by simply turning the oven light on and placing the bowl on the oven rack.

• To make ahead, allow the rolls to have their second rise in the fridge overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking as instructed.