I’m not really sure how a Swedish Tea Ring recipe became a holiday tradition in a German/Irish/English household but my mom has been making it for Christmas morning breakfast since I was a kid.
This is my mom.
And this is her well-worn Swedish Tea Ring recipe card…
…and the back.
And this is our annual delicious handmade Swedish Tea Ring. I highly recommend it for your Christmas morning family breakfast!
Like many breads, it’s an overnight project so my mom starts it each Christmas Eve. A Swedish Tea Ring became an Indiana Christmas staple, and I plan to keep up my mom’s tradition with my own family. What foods remind you of being home at Christmastime?
WANNA MAKE IT? Keep reading to see how to make a Swedish Tea Ring – it’s an easy Christmas breakfast recipe.
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup warm water (not hot!)
- 2 packages yeast
- 2 eggs beaten
- 5 to 5-1/2 cups unsifted flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- Melted butter
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- ⅓ cup raisins or nuts
- Powdered sugar and milk
- Red cherries
- Scald milk. Stir in sugar and butter until melted. Cool to lukewarm (tip: be patient and make sure to cool it or you’ll kill the yeast and/or cook the eggs, neither are good).
- Put water in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast on top. Add milk and mix.
- Beat 2 eggs and mix in.
- Add 2 cups of flour.
- Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour one cup at a time.
- When it begins to form a ball, put it onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
- Place in a greased bowl, turn over once like so.
- Cover with a wet towel. Rest 1-1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- Punch down and roll into a 14″ x 18″ rectangle and brush with melted butter.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle. Add nuts or raisins (optional).
- Roll up from one end, bend into a circle and tuck ends together best you can.
- Snip every inch ⅔ the way and twist open.
- Lay a towel on top and allow to double in size. We usually let it go overnight but if you live in a warmer climate that may be too long.
- Bake 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Make frosting and top with cherries.
Ready to make a Swedish Tea Ring? My mom is going to walk you through it step-by-step…
First, scald the milk (here’s why).
Stir in sugar and butter until melted.
Cool to lukewarm (tip: be patient and make sure to cool it or you’ll kill the yeast and/or cook the eggs, neither are good). Put water in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast on top. (Be sure to use a large bowl. We did this step in a small bowl and then remembered it should have been in the large bowl, so had to pour it into the large bowl).
Add milk and mix. Beat 2 eggs.
And mix.
Add 2 cups of flour.
Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour one cup at a time.
When it begins to form a ball like so…
Put it onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turn over once like so.
Cover with a wet towel. Rest 1-1/2 hours until doubled in size.
Punch down. This is a fun step. My mom used to let me do this when I was little.
Roll into a 14″ x 18″ rectangle.
Brush with melted butter.
Mix the topping – sugar, cinnamon, and nuts or raisins. Sprinkle with the sugar.
And the nuts or raisins, really as much or as little as you’d like.
Roll up from one end.
Bend into a circle and tuck ends together best you can.
Snip every inch 2/3 the way…
…and twist open.
Lay a towel on top and allow to double in size. We usually let it go overnight but if you live in a warmer climate that may be too long.
Bake 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Make frosting and top with cherries.
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My mom has made this every year for Christmas brunch!! I’ve never seen anyone else make the same exact thing until now! Thanks for sharing.
If you can’t leave overnight how long to let it double in size then bake it? My gramma makes this every year in dozens of batches for her church and family. Except its called coffee rings in my family. Love it!!
This recipe looks like the tea ring my mom used to make when I was a kid. I always loved her wonderful Christmas morning breakfasts. Are you suppose to stir in the 2 tsp salt along with the sugar and butter to the scalded milk? Also, is part of the 5 to 5 1/2 cups of flour used to flour the surface for kneading or is this amount used just to make the bread with an additional amount for flouring the surface. As you can see, I am a novice when it comes to making homemade bread. Thank-you for this fabulous recipe.
I lost my mom’s cherished tea ring recipe, and this is the closest to it that I can find! Please edit the instructions though-to add the salt! I’m assuming to the milk along with sugar and butter? I ruined my first batch, because I was following the directions and missed the salt! Thanks, though! Love the pictures of the original recipe! I’m going to add pictures of my mom’s to my on-line cookbook!
Well, my mom was French and she ALWAYS made this for Christmas morning and several to give to our neighbors. I think the became very popular with the early 50s edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. My mom always prided herself in making it look just like the photo in this cookbook.
I’m in Indiana also and my grandmother was from Sweden so this recipe was definitely meant for me! I cant wait to try it!
I’m in Indiana too, and my grandmother was from Sweden so this recipe was definitely meant for me. I cant wait to try it-thanks for sharing!
Hi Susie, that’s so cool! Nice to meet a “neighbor” – and enjoy the recipe. It’s so yummy!
Oh what a surprise it is to see this. You did a beautiful job not only providing the recipe but the pictures are a nice touch. I am part Swedish from my mothers side and this was a family tradition from Sweden dating back to the earliest relatives and a family favorite that my mother made. I am surprising her with this homemade .sedish Tea ring as she is coming for Christmas.
Thank you and have a very Merry Christmas.
Hi Debbie, this is so cool! Thanks for your kind words, and please come back and let me know what you think of the recipe, if it tastes like what you had in Sweden. You can comment here or tag me on instagram (kathybeymer) or facebook (merrimentdesign). Merry Christmas!