Sweet Buns with Farmers Cheese and Raisins
These Sweet Buns with Farmers Cheese and Raisins are made with a slightly sweet yeast dough that is topped with sweet farmer's cheese filling and is very popular in Eastern Europe.
Servings 25 buns
Ingredients
Batter Ingredients
- 1 cup - whole organic milk
- ¾ cup - organic sugar
- 1 tbsp. - active dry yeast
- 5 large - eggs (I used home-raised chicken eggs)
- 4 oz. - unsalted organic butter
- 1 tsp. - pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. - sea salt
- 5 ½ cups - organic all-purpose flour
Buns Farmers Cheese Filling Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. - Farmers cheese
- 8 oz. - organic cream cheese
- ½ cup - sugar (I used organic sugar)
- 1 tsp. - pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. - sea salt
- 1 large - egg (I used home-raised chicken eggs)
- 1 – 2 cups - organic raisins (depends how much you like it)
Buns Egg Wash Ingredients
- 1 large - egg
- 2 tbsp. - water
Instructions
How to Make Buns Batter
- Start with proofing the yeast.
- Pour milk into a small bowl. Heat on the stovetop for 30 seconds or until lukewarm.
- Add ¼ cup sugar and yeast, stir until all dissolves, and place into a warm place to proof.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool until ready for it.
- Beat eggs and the rest of the sugar (¾ cup) together at high speed for 5 minutes or until fluffy and light pale in color.
- Reduce mixing speed to low and add salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and proofed yeast.
- Switch to a dough attachment and stir in sifted flour adding one cup at a time until the dough is smooth and not sticky, for about 10 minutes (if you don’t have a kitchen aid mixer you can do this process by hand as well).
- Remove the hook attachment. Place the dough into a warm place and let it proof for a couple of hours.
How to Make Buns Farmers Cheese Filling
- While the dough is proofing, we can work on the filling.
- Add Farmers Cheese and soften cream cheese into a medium bowl. Mix the cheese on medium speed just until combined.
- Add sugar, pure vanilla extract, sea salt, and mix just until combined.
- Then add an egg and mix once more until all combined.
- Using a silicone spatula mix in raisins.
- (NOTE: I like to soak raisins in hot water for 15 minutes before adding them to the cheese. This step can be done while prepping yeast and melting butter. Drain raisins and rinse with cold water and set aside to let the excess water drip off).
Assembling the Buns with Farmers Cheese and Raisins
- After the dough proofs, remove the dough from a bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and split the dough in half.
- Roll out the first half of the dough into a large rectangular.
- Using a drinking glass cut out circles and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Another option is to pinch a small amount of dough about 2 oz., and shape each ball into a flattened disk).
- Place them next to each other, leaving enough space for it to rise for 30 minutes. Cover the buns with a towel to prevent the outer layer from drying out.
- Add scraps of the first half of the dough to the second half, and repeat the same steps with the rest of the dough.
- Using a small glass press each bun in the center to form a cavity in the center.
- Brush the buns with egg wash. Fill each cavity with a farmer's cheese raisins filling. Let rise for another while the oven is preheating.
Baking Time
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C).
- Bake the buns in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the edges of the buns are golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven. Cool to warm before serving.
- Enjoy buns warm with a cup of milk, tea, or coffee.
Notes
- I like to soak raisins in hot water for 15 minutes before adding them to the cheese. This step can be done while prepping yeast and melting butter. Drain raisins and rinse with cold water and set aside to let the excess water drip off.
- You may store them in an airtight container for a couple of days. Reheat in the toaster oven before serving.
- These buns are freezer-friendly and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw overnight and reheat before serving.