Plushki – popular Russian layered sugar buns

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Eerily fluffy and juicy with a crispy sugar crust and so aromatic are the Plushki. They have been one of the most popular sweet buns in Russian cuisine since the Soviet era. Here I’ll show you how to make Moscow Plushka yourself. It takes a little time, but otherwise it’s pretty easy. A detailed Plushki recipe with exact quantities and step-by-step instructions can be found below.

Plushki recipe

What are Plushki?

Plushki (singular Plushka) are flat sweet buns from Russian cuisine, spirally wrapped in layers. They were still very popular in the Soviet Union. The buns are made of yeast dough, which after rolling out is spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

Moscow Plushka is especially common. It has vanilla flavor and is sprinkled with sugar on top only after forming.

It is believed that the bun got its name because of its flat shape – “plushka” from “splushchennaya” (translated “flattened”).

Russian Plushki can be compared to German yeast snails.

Moscow Plushka

Yeast dough for Plushki

There are several Plushki recipes. The yeast dough can be prepared with milk, water or a mixture of them. It also contains butter or vegetable oil. Depending on the recipe, eggs are also added.

Plushki yeast dough has a slightly firmer consistency than, for example, the dough for my Buchty with apple-cinnamon filling or no yeast piroshki. It should not stick to your hands, but of course it should not be dry.

The firm consistency of the dough later ensures that the buns keep their shape and do not melt during rising and baking.

The Pluschki dough also needs a little more time to rise than the usual yeast dough. It is necessary to knead it in between.

How to shape Plushki?

Plushki can have different shapes. It can be a heart shape, butterfly shape, flower shape, boat shape, figure-of-eight shape, among others.

For each shape, first roll up the piece of dough. The roll is cut in the appropriate places, depending on the desired shape. And the cuts are unfolded.

The most popular Plushki shape is probably the heart shape.

For this, the dough roll is bent in the middle and then cut about 2/3 lengthwise. Open the two sides with the cut facing up. In the pictures you can see the step-by-step instructions for the heart shape.

Shape sweet layer buns

I still made my Plushki in butterfly shape.

To do this, bend the dough roll in two places, connecting its ends and leaving them centered. Then you cut the roll from both sides to about 1/3 and fold the four sides with the cut upwards. You can see here on the pictures how it works exactly.

Butterfly shaped yeast buns

Refine with cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits

You can give your Plushki different flavors by refining them to taste.

For example, sprinkle the sweet buns with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before baking. This will make them even more aromatic.

After buttering them, you can also sprinkle them with chopped nuts, raisins or poppy seeds and sugar.

How to serve Plushki?

Plushki taste best right after baking, when they are still warm. Let them cool just a bit so you don’t burn yourself.

The sweet yeast buns are ideal for after-dinner dessert with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also serve them, along with Franzbrötchen, lemon cheese buns and vatrushka, for breakfast.

Yeast sugar buns

Russian sweet layered buns vegan

You can also make Russian Plushki vegan.

Replace cow’s milk in the recipe below with water or plant milk, such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk or lupine milk.

Instead of animal butter, use vegan butter or margarine.

You can leave out egg in the dough. Instead, add a little more water or plant milk. Or simply add a little less flour to the dough.

You can also use vegan butter or margarine to coat the patties. And before baking, brush the buns with plant milk or water.

Russian Plushki

The Moscow Plushki are

  • airy,
  • soft,
  • juicy,
  • with a crispy sugar crust,
  • heavenly delicious,
  • moderately sweet,
  • aromatic,
  • sweet eye-catcher on the dining table,
  • easy to make with a certain amount of time,
  • ideal for dessert or breakfast,
  • classic of Russian cuisine.

Moscow Plushka recipe

The recipe you’ll find here at the end of the post in the recipe box is for Moscow Plushka. It’s not difficult, but it does require a certain amount of time.

First, you knead the yeast dough from all the ingredients and let it rise for two hours, kneading it halfway through the resting time.

Then divide the dough into pieces and let them rest for a very short time.

After that you can start shaping the Plushki. To do this, roll out each piece of dough, spread it with butter, then roll it up and shape it into hearts, butterflies and the like.

After the Pluschki have risen for half an hour, you can brush them with egg, sprinkle them with sugar and bake them.

After about 20 minutes of baking, you will have the heavenly delicious and aromatic sweet buns on the dining table.

Sweet heart buns

How to make Plushki: tips and tricks

  • Instead of fresh yeast you can use dry yeast**. For the Plushki recipe below you need 7 g of it.
  • The amount of flour given in the recipe may vary. Add flour in batches until you get a firm yeast dough. It should not stick to your hands, but it should not be too firm or dry either.
  • Do not make Plushki that are too small or they may taste dry. A piece of dough for each Plushka should weigh at least 100 g.
  • Instead of brown cane sugar, you can sprinkle the buns with ordinary sugar before baking.
  • Do not bake the Plushki longer than necessary so that they taste fluffy and not dry. Use a wooden skewer to check if they are baked.
  • To learn how to make Plushki vegan, see the post above.

Did you make Plushki according to this recipe? I’m looking forward to your result, your star rating and your comment here below, how you succeeded and tasted the sweet layered buns.

Looking for more sweet buns recipes? Try:

Plushki recipe

Plushki (Moscow Plushka)

Incredibly fluffy and juicy with a crispy sugar crust and so aromatic are the Plushki. They have been one of the most popular sweet buns in Russian cuisine since the Soviet era. With this recipe, you'll make Moscow Plushka yourself. It takes a little time, but is otherwise pretty simple.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Dough rising time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Russian, Soviet
Servings 9 Plushki

Ingredients
  

  • 150 ml milk lukewarm
  • 100 g sugar**
  • 70 g butter room warm
  • 50 ml water lukewarm
  • 1 small egg room warm
  • approx. 500 g flour**
  • 21 g fresh yeast
  • 1 pinch of vanilla bean**
  • 5 g salt

for brushing and sprinkling

  • 50 g butter room warm
  • 1 egg room warm
  • 30 g brown cane sugar

Instructions
 

  • Mix lukewarm milk and water in a large mixing bowl.
  • Dissolve fresh yeast in it.
  • Add sugar, egg, vanilla and salt and mix.
  • Add flour in batches and knead into a firm dough.
  • Knead softened butter into the dough.
  • Then knead the dough for 7 - 8 minutes and let it rise covered in the mixing bowl in a warm place for 1 hour.
  • Knead the dough briefly and let it rise for another 1 hour.
  • Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces (100 g each for me) and shape each piece into a ball. Spread the dough balls on the work surface, cover them with a tea towel and let them rest for 15 minutes.
  • Roll each dough ball into a long rectangle about 0.3 cm thick and brush with softened butter. Roll up the rectangle from the long side and tape the seam.
  • For the heart shape: Fold the dough roll in half and glue the two ends together. Cut about 2/3 of the dough roll lengthwise along from the crease and fold up the two sides with the cut facing up. (See the pictures here above.)
  • For the butterfly shape: Tape the two ends of the dough roll together and fold so that the taped ends are centered at the bottom. Cut about 1/3 of the dough roll lengthwise from each of the two creases, and unfold the four sides with the cut facing up. (See the pictures above for this as well).
  • Spread the Plushki in heart or butterfly shape on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with plenty of space between them and let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  • Whisk an egg, brush it on the Plushki and sprinkle them with brown cane sugar.
  • Bake the Plushki in a preheated oven at 180 °C top and bottom heat for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

  • Instead of fresh yeast you can use dry yeast**. For the recipe you need 7 g of it.
  • The amount of flour indicated may vary. Add flour in portions until you have a firm yeast dough. It should not stick to your hands, but it should not be too firm or dry either.
  • Do not make Plushki that are too small or they may taste dry. A piece of dough for each Plushka should weigh at least 100 g.
  • Instead of brown cane sugar, you can sprinkle the buns with ordinary sugar before baking.
  • Do not bake the Plushki longer than necessary so that they taste fluffy and not dry. Use a wooden skewer to check if they are baked.
  • Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the Moscow Plushki at the top of the post.

If you are using Pinterest, you can pin the following picture:

Pin Moscow Plushki

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