Blueberry Cheese Sweet Buns (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Sweet Watruschka Base
01 -
2 1/4 tsp (7 g) dry yeast
02 -
2 tbsp (30 ml) lukewarm water
03 -
1 cup (240 ml) milk
04 -
6 tbsp (75 g) white sugar
05 -
1 tsp table salt
06 -
2 egg yolks
07 -
4 cups (500 g) plain flour
08 -
7 tbsp (100 g) salted butter, room temperature
09 -
1 large egg + 2 tbsp (30 ml) whipping cream, for brushing
→ Berry Topping
10 -
2 cups (300 g) blueberries
11 -
2 tbsp (25 g) white sugar
12 -
1 tbsp (15 ml) squeezed lemon juice
13 -
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
→ Creamy Center
14 -
1 cup (350 g) strained ricotta cheese, or quark
15 -
1 large egg
16 -
2 tbsp (30 g) white sugar
17 -
1/2 tsp vanilla flavor
18 -
3 tbsp (25 g) cornstarch
19 -
1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream
# Instructions:
01 -
Mix yeast with lukewarm water in a small cup and wait 8-10 minutes until bubbles form. Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a pot until it steams or hits 43°C. Pour warm milk into your mixer bowl with the hook attachment, add the bubbly yeast, and stir together. Drop in the egg yolks.
02 -
Add flour bit by bit, around 125g each time until dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Put in softened butter and let the machine knead it for 10-12 minutes on medium-high until your dough feels soft, stretchy, and fluffy. Roll it into a ball.
03 -
Put your dough ball in a greased big bowl. Cover with a damp, warm cloth or plastic and let it grow until it's twice as big, about 1 hour.
04 -
While waiting, throw blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small pot. Let it boil over medium heat. Turn down to a gentle bubble and cook 8-10 minutes till it thickens a bit. Take off heat to cool down. Put plastic wrap right on top to keep it from getting skin.
05 -
Once dough has grown, push it down gently and cut into 12 same-sized chunks. Make each chunk into a ball, pinch the bottom closed. Put them on two greased baking trays with about 10cm space between. Cover with plastic and wait 20-30 minutes (they won't get super puffy like regular bread).
06 -
In a bowl, mix ricotta or quark, egg, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch, and cream until smooth without lumps. An electric mixer works best to make sure sugar fully blends into the cheese mix.
07 -
Heat oven to 180°C. Grab a drinking glass or small jar, spray it with cooking oil, and push down firmly in the middle of each bun to make a well big enough for about 30ml of filling. Don't push through to the bottom. Shape like a little nest with flat bottom and raised edges, using your finger to smooth out the dent if needed.
08 -
Put 15ml of Creamy Center in each hole, then top with 15ml of Berry Topping. Mix egg and cream in a small bowl and brush this on the sides of all buns.
09 -
Stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they turn golden brown. Enjoy them warm or cool.
# Notes:
01 -
These puffy treats come from old-school East European 'Watruschka' traditions, giving you a soft, airy base for the cheese and fruit toppings.
02 -
For the tastiest results, don't use cold stuff straight from the fridge when making your dough.
03 -
You can keep these buns in a sealed container for 2 days, or freeze them if you want them to last longer.