Wild blueberries ‘blåbær’, known as European bilberries, grow abundantly across the country and ripen in mid-July lasting for a couple of weeks. Picking them can become a day’s activity with buckets filled to the brim, though they also offer a nice snack along a hiking route or while passing by. When coming home with a bounty, fingers and mouths stained reddish-purple are a true testament to the fruits of the labor.  

Having a good amount of wild blueberries on hand means a lot of ideas for how to use them. So, it was only time before I made a batch of these wild blueberry buns (blåbærboller) – a jammy blueberry filling snuggled into my go-to sweet cardamom dough. The tartness of the berries come out ever-so-slightly providing a nice balance to the sugary topping.

Boller, or sweet buns, are a staple baked good here in Norway and provide the potential for a myriad of flavors and shapes. I thoroughly enjoy highlighting the seasons with each batch and these wild blueberry buns truly capture the flavor of the Norwegian woods at this time of year. Though, with such a bounty of freshly picked wild blueberries, there’s always a lot to freeze for later use. Meaning, these buns can be made with either fresh or frozen wild blueberries, or normal blueberries if you can’t access the wild ones, making them a year-round treat!

Enjoy these after they have cooled slightly, they’ll be soft and warm with a bright, sweet and tangy taste. The buttery sugar topping adds such a lovely texture, but feel free to substitute with some confectioners’ sugar or a simple glaze.  

Bilberry ‘Wild Blueberry’ Buns (blåbærboller)

Makes 12 buns

For the buns:

• 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk
• 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (500 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (¼ ounce (7 g)) instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (75 g) lightly salted butter, cut into small pieces

For the wild blueberry filling:

• 2 ½ cups (250 g) wild blueberries, frozen or fresh
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

To finish:

• Butter, melted
• Granulated sugar

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For the buns, in a small saucepan, heat the milk over low heat until lukewarm.

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom, and salt. Add the lukewarm milk and egg. Knead on low for 8 minutes. Add the butter and knead on medium for about 5 minutes more, or until the dough is very elastic and somewhat moist. Transfer the dough to lightly buttered bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

For the filling, in a medium saucepan, cook the wild blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool.   

Once the dough has doubled in size, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin and more flour as needed to prevent sticking, roll out the dough into a large rectangle that measures roughly 20 x 15 inches (50 x 38 cm). Spread the filling evenly across the dough all the way to the edges. Starting on one of the long sides, roll the dough around the filling to form a long, roughly 20 inch (50 cm), log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log crosswise into 12 equal size buns. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until nicely browned. While still warm, brush the tops with the melted butter then dip in granulated sugar to cover.

These buns are best eaten while they are still fresh, on the day they were baked.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.