Cascais Christmas Buns — 2025 Municipal Formula
This is the formula published by Cascais Municipality in 2025: small raised buns made with flour, eggs, butter, milk, sugar and an infusion of lemon peel and cinnamon. They rise in two stages for about five hours, are shaped on lemon leaves, snipped with a cross and baked at 200°C. It is kept distinct from the larger family recipe published by the same municipality in 2016, which begins a starter the previous day and uses different proportions.
- Yields
- Number of buns not stated
- Prep
- About 5 hr rising, plus preparation
- Cook
- About 20 min
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb 3.3 oz Wheat flour
- 4, reserving 1 yolk for brushing Eggs
- 30 g / 1.1 oz, plus extra for brushing after baking Butter
- 50 ml / 1.7 fl oz Milk
- 60 g / 2.1 oz Baker's yeast
- 1 litre / 4.2 cups Water for the infusion
- Peel of 1 lemon Lemon peel for the infusion
- 2 Cinnamon sticks for the infusion
- 500 g / 1 lb 1.6 oz Sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons Finely grated lemon zest
- as needed Salt
- as needed, one per bun Lemon leaves
- a little Water for thinning the yolk
Method
Make an infusion with 1 litre water, the peel of one lemon and two cinnamon sticks. Let it become lukewarm before adding it to the dough.
Knead half the flour and half the butter with the eggs, milk, yeast and infusion, reserving one yolk for brushing. Add the milk, yeast and infusion gradually: the source specifies a stiff, non-stretchy dough.
Leave to rest for about 2 hours in a warm, dry place.
Work the remaining flour, sugar, remaining butter and zest of two lemons into the dough. Add more infusion if necessary.
Leave to rest for a further 3 hours in a warm, dry place.
Once risen, cut the dough into pieces with a knife, shape into balls and place each one on a lemon leaf on a baking tray.
Thin the reserved yolk with a little water and brush the buns. Snip a cross into the top of each ball with scissors.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C / 390°F for about 20 minutes, until the buns have risen and browned.
While still hot, brush the buns with butter and cover them with a cloth so they do not harden. The source does not quantify the butter used for this finish.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
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