Swedish Tea Ring

My mom always made these when I was a kid. You can fill them with anything you want. Traditional filling is cinnamon and raisins. I prefer chocolate chips and walnuts with a glaze. Mom has even done it with ham and cheese for a breakfast treat! Use whatever you like! 


For the sweet dough: 
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
2 packages yeast (1/4 ounce)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk
2 eggs
additional 2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour


For the chocolate walnut filling (enough for 1 tea ring)
2 Tbs butter, room temperature
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 Tbs brown sugar


For the glaze: 
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 to 4 Tbs milk
optional: 1/8 tsp cinnamon


Heat water and butter until it reaches 120 degrees. In the bowl of your mixer, fitted with the dough hook, combine the rest of the ingredients through the eggs. Mix on medium to high speed until combined. Add the additional 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead on low speed for about 3 minutes, adding the last 1/2 cup of flour as needed to create a dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top of the dough, and let it rise until doubled in size, 1/2 hour to an hour. 


Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll one section into a 15x9 inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. Spread the soft butter over the entire dough. Mix brown sugar, chocolate chips, and walnuts in a small bowl. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the entire dough, leaving the far long edge clean. Roll the dough into a log, starting from with long edge closest to you. Pinch slightly to seal the far edge and turn the seal face down. Stretch and squeeze the roll slightly so it's even all the way to the ends. Place the dough on a cookie sheet and make into a circle stuffing one end into the other and pinching to seal. With scissors, make cuts 2/3 of the way through the ring at 1-inch intervals. Pull each piece and turn slightly so it's sort of laying down on it's side, leaning on the piece next to it. You wil see the filling now. (Goggle swedish tea rings to get a visual!) Cover with a dish towel and let it rise for another 40 minutes.  Repeat with second ball of dough with desired fillings. 


Heat oven to 375 and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. From my mom's experience, it takes longer in gas ranges, up to 30 minutes. Just keep an eye on it, it will be golden brown on top and the inside edges will appear pale but cooked. Cover loosely with foil if it's browning too quickly for you. 


Let the tea ring cool completely before combining all the glaze ingredients and drizzling over the top. Let it set for a while then enjoy! 


Cinnamon Raisin filling: 
2 Tbs butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins. 


Follow the same directions as above.