Vatrushka — Sweet Tvorog Cheese Buns
Soft yeast buns with a well of sweet tvorog cheese in the center — a beloved Slavic bakery classic our babushkas made on weekends. Honey-sweetened, protein-rich.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- A genuine hit of protein
- Makes enough for 10
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 3 cups (360 g) whole-wheat bread flour
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) tvorog / dry farmer's cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1/2 lemon
How to make it
Foam yeast and 1 tsp honey in warm milk (10 min). Mix in honey, butter, egg, salt and flour to a soft dough; knead 8 minutes. Rise 1 hour.
Mash filling ingredients smooth; chill.
Divide dough into 10 balls; place on a lined tray. Press a wide well into each with a floured glass. Rise 20 minutes.
Spoon filling into each well.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes until golden. Brush edges with a little honey while warm.
Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Vatrushka — Sweet Tvorog Cheese Buns
Soft yeast buns with a well of sweet tvorog cheese in the center — a beloved Slavic bakery classic our babushkas made on weekends. Honey-sweetened, protein-rich.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) whole-wheat bread flour
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) tvorog / dry farmer's cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Foam yeast and 1 tsp honey in warm milk (10 min). Mix in honey, butter, egg, salt and flour to a soft dough; knead 8 minutes. Rise 1 hour.
- Mash filling ingredients smooth; chill.
- Divide dough into 10 balls; place on a lined tray. Press a wide well into each with a floured glass. Rise 20 minutes.
- Spoon filling into each well.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes until golden. Brush edges with a little honey while warm.
