Summer berries and cheesecake are a match made in heaven. If that’s the sort of thing that get’s you excited, try my Almond Raspberry Cheesecake Bars! Today I am bringing you a sweet bun recipe, which comes straight from my childhood. These sweet cream cheese filled brioche buns have been my favourite treat for ages. I am so thrilled to finally share this recipe with you.
Vatrushka Recipe
Russian vatrushka (pronounced vat-roosh-ka) are buns made with enriched yeasted dough and filled with sweet curd cheese ‘tvorog’ similar to Italian ricotta, sometimes known as farmers cheese. The filling could also be fruit or fruit jam. In my recipe I use cream cheese and top it with strawberry jam. These buns are not exclusive to Russia, similar pastries are popular in Czechia and are known as kolaches.
Strawberry Jam Filling
The filling for these vatrushka buns combines lovely cream cheese with a dollop of sweet jam. Jam cuts through the creamy cheese and, of course, is right at home on the pillowy soft buns. Although strawberry jam is my choice, there’s really no limit on the varieties that would work here. Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry or rhubarb, all are going to be great additions to the vatrushka.
The Process
Considering how amazing these buns look they are actually quite simple to make. Even if you are not a pro at yeasted dough bakes, my recipe will set you up for success. There are three parts to the recipe. The dough. The filling. And the streusel topping. The dough for the vatrushka buns is my master dough, which I also used in this Cinnamon Bun recipe. It’s soft, slightly sweet and pliable. It rises within an hour making this recipe a relatively quick one for yeasted bakes. Once the dough is ready, it needs to be divided into 12 equal parts and shaped into balls. I prefer using my scale to make sure the buns are all the same size. After the buns have been shaped, they need to rise for 30 minutes. After the rising time, make deep wells in the buns by pressing a glass just in the middle of it. This is where your cream cheese and jam filling will go. Brush the side of the buns with a beaten egg and sprinkle with streusel topping, bake for 20 minutes at 350F/180C and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
There’s no strict time or place to serve them though. They work just as well for breakfast as they do for a coffee break or with a picnic. Anytime is the right time! No need to heat them up before serving. They are pretty amazing at room temperature, but give them time to warm up if you are storing them in the fridge.
Storage and leftovers
Vatrushka buns can be made early and kept on hand for whenever a craving strikes. they can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for two months.
More favourite summer fruit bakes
Italian Plum Cobbler Rhubarb and Redcurrant Jam Swirled Bread Victoria Sponge Cake with Blackberry Compote Rustic Strawberry and Cream Cheese Galette
