Author and Photographer: Juliet Goswami

Vatrushka buns are an Eastern European dish consisting of a brioche-like dough that is traditionally filled with sweetened cheese and often topped with strawberry jam. The dish originated in the Russo-Ukrainian region, though its official origination is unclear. I have adapted the recipe to have several different versions, including one with a savory filling inspired by more traditional savory Polish flavors. The dough is usually slightly enriched, and the sweetened cheese filling consists of farmer’s cheese and granulated sugar.

Below you will find my adapted recipe that, while not a traditional Vatrushka bun recipe, lends itself to creative iterations. The dough I use is much more aligned with a traditional sweet brioche bread, and I mix twarog (a Polish farmer’s cheese) with American cream cheese for a sweet filling. I have included two sweet versions and a savory version. I included a sweet topping set that is more appropriate for spring, such as fresh strawberries and pears, as well as a sweet version that is more appropriate for winter, such as lemon curd and pomegranate seeds. In my savory version, I adapt Polish dishes suited for the winter – golumpki and potato and cheese pierogi – as fillings.

Recipe: Vatrushka

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 12 vatrushka

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Potato masher (optional)

Ingredients

Brioche

1.5 cups whole milk

1.5 tsp active dry yeast
¼ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups bread flour, 2 cups AP flour (you can use one of these entirely, but I have found that the mix creates the best taste)
3 large eggs
7 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg and ½ cup whole milk for egg wash, optional

Traditional Filling

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1.5 cups twarog (you can buy it, but I make this recipe)
¾ cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt (optional)

Savory Filling

Golumpki Meat Filling

½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
1 cup cooked rice
½ cup onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste

Pierogi Ruskie Filling

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ cup sour cream
½ cup twarog
2 tbsp butter
1.5 cups onions, finely chopped

Tomato Paste

2 tbsp tomato paste
Oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or other spices to taste

Sweet Add-ins/Toppings Ideas

Strawberry jam (1 cup strawberries chopped, ¼ cup sugar)
Fresh strawberries and pears
Lemon curd and pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Make the dough. Starting with the yeast mixture, heat the milk gently over the stove until warm throughout (not hot).
Whisk together the milk, yeast, and tablespoon of sugar and set aside for 10 minutes.
Once rested and frothy, combine the yeast mixture with all of the other dough ingredients, except for the butter, into the mixer.
Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the flour is just combined, then mix on high speed until the mixture is smooth, elastic, and attaches to the hook (for me, this was around 4 minutes).
Add in the butter by the tablespoon as you beat on high. You do not need to wait until it is fully combined to add the next piece, but before moving onto the next step, make sure all the butter is incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl.
Take the dough out of the bowl and put it onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly brush the bowl with oil and transfer the dough back into it.
Cover and let the dough rise for an hour and a half.
Divide the dough evenly into 12 buns (I use a scale to help with this!), then shape them into rolls and place them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

To shape the rolls, I take the outside edges and pull them into the cell of the dough, going all the way around until one side is relatively smooth and round. Place the pinched side down.

Let the rolls rise for another hour.
As the dough is rising, make the filling.

For a sweet filling:

Place the cream cheese, twarog, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt into a bowl. Beat until smooth.
Fill the buns. Once the rolls are fully proved (the hour), take a round glass to create a well in the center of each bun. Fill the indent with heaping spoonfuls of the filling.
If you are adding additional toppings meant to be cooked, such as jam or strawberries, add as desired now.
If you would like to add an egg wash, beat the egg and milk together. Lightly brush edges of dough with egg wash.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the edges of the filling are lightly browned.
Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring and letting them cool completely on a wire rack

For a savory filling:

Make the pierogi ruskie filling. Cover potatoes in a saucepan with cold water, submerging them by at least an inch. Boil until tender.
As the potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a skillet.
Add onions to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or nicely browned.
Season onions to taste with spices. Set aside.
Once potatoes are cooked, drain water from the pan. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes.
Add the sour cream and twarog to the mashed potatoes and combine using a rubber spatula. Add in the onions and stir to incorporate.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and cover, letting it cool in the refrigerator.
Make the golumpki filling. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring thoroughly to incorporate.
Roll roughly two tablespoons into balls before flattening them into discs about half an inch thick.
Fry lightly on each side until light brown. Place finished patties on a paper towel to the side.
Make the tomato paste. Add tomato paste and chosen spices to a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine.
Fill the buns. Once the rolls are fully proved, take a round glass to create a well in the center of each bun.
Brush the bottom of the well with your tomato paste (I just use clean fingers).
Push golumpki filling into the well.
Using a similar method for the shaping as the golumpki filling, make discs out of the pierogi filling and place on top of the meat.
If you would like to add an egg wash, beat the egg and milk together. Lightly brush edges of dough with egg wash.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the edges of the filling are lightly browned.
Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

~Insider Tips~

Let all ingredients, such as dairy and egg ingredients, come to room temperature before using them in all portions of this recipe.

Before using the twarog, give it a long blitz in a food processor; this will result in a less grainy texture.
I personally like to use an eggless curd (this recipe), as I feel like it is a bit lighter than a traditional curd.
Make the well and then fill it immediately after – otherwise, the indent will lessen before you want it to.
Try to keep the oven closed during the baking process; opening the oven door too often will lead to an uneven bake.
If you have extra twarog, make sernik! The delicious Polish cheesecake has a stronger tang than your traditional cheesecake, and has a nice caramelized top.