Vatrushka is a ring of soft yeast dough filled with sweetened tvorog (farmer cheese), found throughout Russia, Ukraine and neighboring countries. Serve it with black tea.
Vatrushka (Russian Farmer Cheese Buns)
Baking
Quick breads
Vanilla: Paste
Medium
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Soft enriched dough is shaped into rounds with a deep well, filled with a creamy vanilla farmer-cheese filling and baked until the dough is golden and the cheese just set. Makes 12 buns in about 2 hr 35 min.
Prep
40 min
Cook
25 min
Cooling
1 hr 30 min
Total
2 hr 35 min
Yield
12 buns
Ingredients
Adjust yield
buns
Scales from a half to a double batch. Laminated and yeasted doughs are easiest to handle one batch at a time; bake extra pans in rounds.
- 4 cups (500 g)all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cups (320 ml)whole milk, lukewarm
- ¼ oz (9 g)instant yeast
- 7 tbsp (85 g)sugar, for the dough
- ¾ tsp (5 g)fine salt
- 2 (100 g)eggs
- ⅓ cup (70 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 lb (500 g)farmer cheese (tvorog), well drained
- ¼ cup (50 g)sugar, for the filling
- 2 tbsp (30 g)sour cream
- 1 (50 g)egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla bean paste
- 1 (18 g)egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Baking tools for this recipe
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the milk, eggs and butter and knead 8 to 10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rise about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Beat the cheese with the sugar, sour cream, egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 12 balls and flatten each into a round. Shape on lined baking sheets.
- Press a deep well into the center of each bun, leaving a thick rim, and rest 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Fill the wells with the cheese mixture, brush the rims with yolk glaze and bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the dough is golden and the filling just set.
- Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Drain wet cheese in a towel for an hour or the filling will run.
- Make the well deep and the rim thick so the filling stays in.
- Raisins or a spoon of jam can go in the filling.
- Bake until the cheese filling is set (at least 160 F / 71 C) and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make vatrushka (russian farmer cheese buns)?
Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 12 buns.
How should I store vatrushka (russian farmer cheese buns)?
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, up to 3 days; reheat briefly in the oven.
Can I make vatrushka (russian farmer cheese buns) ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.
326
Calories / serving
10.0g
Fat
46.7g
Carbs
11.9g
Protein
14.8g
Sugar
Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3912 cal · 120g fat · 560g carbs · 143g protein · 178g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Made with VanillaGoods
Browse available VanillaGoods products below. Check each product's origin and form against the ingredient list; these recommendations do not change the recipe's quantities or preparation method.
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