Blueberry & Cheese Vatrushka Buns

By Tatyana's Everyday Food · 180 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Warm the milk to 120-130°F. Pour into a large bowl, whisk in the sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top, stir lightly and let it proof about 5 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
2. Add the salt, vanilla, eggs, egg yolks and cooled melted butter, and whisk until uniform. Add the flour gradually, whisking after each addition, then switch to a spatula when the dough starts to come together.
3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, add the remaining flour and knead 12-15 minutes until smooth and elastic (about 20 minutes with a mixer).
4. Return the dough to the bowl. Place the bowl in a small pot of boiling water filled halfway, without the bowl touching the water, cover with a towel and proof in a warm place for 1 ½-2 hours until doubled. Replace the water every 30 minutes.
5. For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese for a minute until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, sugar (¼-½ cup to taste) and salt and mix. Then add the farmer's cheese and beat until creamy and uniform. If using cottage cheese instead, drain it in cheesecloth, rinse with cold water and wring it very dry.
6. Turn the proofed dough onto a clean surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball without over-kneading.
7. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats and space the balls a few inches apart.
8. Press the base of a glass or jar (about 1 ½-2 inches wide) into the centre of each ball to make a hollow. Prick the hollow with a fork, fill to the top with cheese filling, and add a teaspoon of preserves on top.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the trays proof on the warm stovetop for 30-45 minutes until the dough is fluffy.
10. For the streusel, pulse the flour, sugar and cold butter in a food processor (or rub with a pastry blender) until fine crumbs form. With the processor running, add the cream a few teaspoons at a time, just until small crumbles form.
11. Brush the dough around the filling with beaten egg, then sprinkle streusel over the filling and top.
12. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until rich golden brown. Stagger the pans so they are not stacked, or refrigerate the second pan if you only have two racks.
13. Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Store in a sealed container at room temperature up to 2 days, then in the fridge up to a week.

Summarized from Tatyana's Everyday Food's video. Watch it for the details.

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