Russians and Ukrainians love hot tea! If you’re not feeling a cheese pastry today, try our Crisp Cream-filled Pizzelles or Sweet Filled Cream Horns for that sweet tooth craving!
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My husband is a lover of sweet yeast pastries like Poppy Seed Roulettes. So, when it comes down to bun recipes, I like it easy! Luckily, those roulettes and this recipe fall into the Easy category, which means if I decide to make them last-minute minute it’ll work out just fine! I’m all about easy recipes, especially with a house full of seven souls! As a result, no crumb toppings or complicated steps are needed, just some extra rising times to ensure soft and fluffy buns!
Fillings for Sweet Buns:
Our children love these sweet-filled buns with Nutella, so if you’re ever short on cheese, fill them with canned cherries, poppy seeds, or creamy Nutella! The possibilities are many, choose your craving! A Vatrushka pastry is typically made with a cheese filling like farmer’s cheese and can be braided to imagination!
Watch How to Make Easy Sweet Cheese Buns!
How to make Easy Sweet Cheese Buns:
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Sweet Cheese Buns
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Mixer
Ingredients
Sweet Yeast Buns:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 Tbsp yeast
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup oil
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese , drained and rinsed
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk , (for brushing buns)
Instructions
How to make Sweet Cheese Filled Buns:
- Whisk together the milk, yeast, and 1/2 T sugar. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place all the remaining dough ingredients into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, in the order given. Stir in the yeast mixture and knead over med-hi speed for 7 minutes. Lightly oil and cover to rise 35 minutes.
- Cut the dough in half, then each half into 8 pieces, and form all 16 pieces into balls. Place 2 inches apart onto a lined cookie sheet and allow to rise 25 minutes.
- Make the cheese filling by mixing all the filling ingredients until fluffy. Set aside.
- Indent each risen ball leaving a 1-inch border. Fill with 2 heaping Tablespoons of the cheese filling and give the buns a final rise of 20 minutes.
- Brush tops with 2 tablespoons of milk. Bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 22 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
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Q&A
What does Vatrushka Mean?
Vatrushka is a ring-shaped sweet pastry (pirog), typically filled with a curd-like cheese (tvorog) filling. Other fillings and toppings make this Danish pastry versatile and a staple in many Eastern European families. can be added, like a streusel topping or powdered sugar.
Can I add a Crumb Topping?
Sweet Cheese Buns are plenty flavorful and sweet on their own; however, if you wish to add additional toppings, that can be done with a sprinkle of powdered sugar over or a crumb topping.
What else can I fill Sweet Buns with?
Sweet yeast rolls can be filled in so many different ways! Here is a list of ideas:
Do Sweet Buns freeze well?
Yes! Yeast Breads freeze very well. I like to freeze my Bulochki Buns inside freezer bags, and they defrost in the microwave quickly! After the buns have baked, cool and stack in a single layer into a freezer bag. Defrost as needed.
Tips:
- Sprinkle powdered sugar for a prettier Cheese Bun!
- Leftovers freeze well!
- Other fillings, like canned cherries, can be used when out of cheese.
- Make a crumb topping for cheese-filled buns.