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Fluffy yeast dough and moist tvorog filling – the sweet vatrushka is a heavenly treat in itself. Especially directly after baking it belongs to an aromatic seduction, which is guaranteed no one can resist. Airy, soft, creamy – simply delicious are the Russian sweet cheese buns. Here I show you how to make them yourself. You can find a detailed classic vatrushka recipe with exact quantities and step-by-step instructions here at the very bottom.
What is vatrushka?
Vatrushka (plural vatrushki) is a very popular sweet pastry in Russia made of yeast dough and tvorog filling. They are often referred to as Russian sweet cheese buns. Vatrushka has the shape of round mini cake with the filling visible in the center and looks like the sun.
Why the pastry was called “vatrushka” is not clear. There are several assumptions that explain the name. According to one of them, the word “vatrushka” was derived from the word “tvorog”. After all, the sweet buns are filled with the Russian cottage cheese tvorog. However, the word “watrushka” could also come from the word “votruha”, which means “filling”. So the name of the pastry could come from the fact that it is made with a lot of filling. Another assumption suggests that “vatrushka” comes from the Slavic word “vatra,” which translates to “fire” or “hearth” in German. And indeed, Russian sweet cheese buns look a bit like a fireplace.
Refine the tvorog filling and alternatives for it
The most popular filling for vatrushka is tvorog filling, which still contains sour cream, egg, sugar and is refined with vanilla. In addition, you can add to the tvorog filling, among other things
- raisins,
- candied citrus peel,
- chopped nuts.
Besides the classic vatrushka with tvorog, there are vatrushki with other fillings, for example, with jam, fruits, sour cream or even savory filled with cheese, mashed potatoes. Besides, you can make vatrushka with more unusual fillings, for example, vatrushka with lemon cream.
How to shape vatrushka?
Here I’ll show you two ways to shape the Russian sweet cheese buns with the yeast dough. For the first method you need only your fingers. This is how you do it:
- divide the yeast dough into pieces,
- form the dough pieces into balls,
- roll out the balls into circles and let them rise,
- make hollows in the risen dough circles by pressing the dough with your fingers, leaving an edge.
For the second variation, an object with a round, flat bottom is needed. A drinking glass is best for this purpose. This is how it is done:
- divide the yeast dough into pieces,
- form the dough pieces into balls and let them rise,
- make hollows in the risen dough balls by pressing the bottom of the drinking glass in the middle of the dough, leaving an edge.
The first method takes a little longer to form, but you can make larger cavities and put more filling in them. This way you get the buns with a lot of filling. The second method was used in the past in Soviet bakeries. I had used the first variant. However, you can make your vatrushka the way you prefer.
Tvorog, cottage cheese or curd?
If you want to make vatrushka that tastes like the original, you should fill it with tvorog. This is because tvorog differs from cottage cheese in both taste and consistency. You can buy tvorog in any Russian store. In the meantime, many German supermarkets also offer it. You can also make your own tvorog. Of course, homemade tvorog tastes best and is ideal for filling the vatrushka.
Alternatively, you can use cottage cheese or curd for the filling. If you use curd, you can add less sour cream to the filling or omit it completely, because the filling will be creamy enough as it is. If you buy cottage cheese for the vatrushka filling, make sure that it is not too salty if you want to make the Russian cheese buns sweet. Also, you can drain the excess liquid from the cottage cheese through a straining cloth.
How to serve and store vatrushka?
Russian sweet cheese buns can be served in many ways. Among other things, they are perfect for breakfast. They are also delicious with a cup of coffee or tea for dessert after dinner. You can also enjoy them as a snack in between meals. They are also ideal to take with you on the road.
The vatrushka tastes best still warm, right after baking. Let it cool down a bit first, so you don’t burn yourself. However, the Russian sweet cheese pastries are still delicious cold for the next few days. Store them in an airtight container, such as a lunch box, in the refrigerator to keep them fluffy and soft. You can store them for about 3 days.
This classic vatrushka is
- fluffy,
- moist,
- soft,
- creamy,
- not too sweet,
- aromatic,
- heavenly delicious,
- with tvorog filling,
- also possible with other fillings,
- ideal for breakfast, dessert with coffee, tea, as a snack in between, to take away,
- hot and cold delicious,
- a sweet eye-catcher in the form of small sun on the dining table,
- easy to make from ordinary ingredients.
Vatrushka recipe
The vatrushka recipe is not difficult at all. You will succeed even if you do not have great baking skills. However, you should allow enough time for making, because the yeast dough does not tolerate haste. Here you can get a rough idea of how to make the vatrushka and what you need for it. As always, you can find the exact quantities and step-by-step instructions on how to make the classic vatrushka here below in the box recipe.
For the yeast dough you need lukewarm milk, eggs at room temperature, sugar, melted and cooled butter, flour, yeast, vegetable oil, a little salt and vanilla. For the filling you need only tvorog, sour cream, egg, sugar and vanilla. First make the pre-dough with milk, yeast, a little sugar and a little flour and let it rise briefly. Then mix the remaining ingredients for the dough, except flour, and add the mixture to the pre-dough. Then add the remaining flour little by little and knead everything into a soft dough. The dough must then rise for a while. Then form round patties and let them rise again. In the meantime you can make the filling. To do this, mash the tvorog with sugar, sour cream, egg and vanilla with a fork. Now you make hollows in the dough and fill them with the tvorog filling. Now put the buns in the oven to bake. And they are ready!
How to make the Russian sweet cheese buns: tips and tricks
- Instead of fresh yeast you can use dry yeast. For the recipe below you will need 8 g of it.
- Milk for the yeast dough must be lukewarm, eggs must be room temperature.
- Do not use hot melted butter for the dough, but let it cool down first.
- To give the dough the right consistency, add the last portion of flour gradually. When doing this, the amount of flour given in the recipe may vary. The dough must be soft and somewhat sticky. It should not become too firm.
- It is important to knead the yeast dough for 8 – 10 minutes so that it tastes soft and fluffy after baking.
- Be sure to let the yeast dough rise in a warm place. To do this, place the mixing bowl with the dough on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven (do not turn on the oven) and put a small bowl of hot water on the bottom of the oven (keep the oven door closed). This way you will create an ideal climate for the yeast dough – with enough heat and humidity.
- Instead of using your fingers, you can use a drinking glass to make indentations in the yeast dough when forming vatrushka. See my notes for this above.
- Instead of tvorog, you can use cottage cheese or curd for the vatrushka filling. See my notes above.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar for the filling according to your taste.
Video for the vatrushka recipe
By the way, on my Youtube channel you can find a short video for the Russian vatrushka. There you can watch exactly how to make it yourself. If you don’t want to miss any more videos from me, feel free to subscribe to my channel.
Did you make vatrushka 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 Russian sweet cheese buns.
Fancy more delicious Russian pastries? Also try:
- “Lakomka” or Nevsky cake – Soviet yeast cake recipe
- Tarts “Penyochki” – popular Soviet mini tree stump cakes
- Raisin cake “Stolichny” – the sweet original from the Soviet Union
- Krakow slices recipe – on the taste journey to the Soviet Union
- Suvorov cookies – Soviet recipe with the original filling
Vatrushka
Ingredients
for the dough
- 125 ml milk (lukewarm)
- 1 egg and white of 1 egg (room temperature)
- 60 g sugar
- 25 g butter (melted and cooled)
- approx. 400 g flour
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (neutral in taste)
- 1/3 tsp salt
- vanilla
- vegetable oil to grease the hands
for the filling
- 300 g tvorog
- 60 g sour cream
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- vanilla
for coating
- yolk of 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp milk (room temperature)
Instructions
Preparation of the dough
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar (from the total amount given) and fresh yeast in lukewarm milk.
- Add 120 g of flour, stir, cover with a towel and let the pre-dough rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Mix melted and cooled butter, the remaining sugar, egg and egg white, vanilla and salt, add it to the pre-dough and mix until homogeneous.
- In portions, gradually add the remaining about 280 g of flour and and knead it into a soft, somewhat sticky dough.
- Knead vegetable oil into the dough and then knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
- Grease your hands with vegetable oil, form the dough into a ball, grease the mixing bowl also with vegetable oil, put the dough ball back into the bowl, cover it with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Then knead it briefly and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shape each piece into a ball and roll each ball into a circle about 0.5 cm thick. Divide the dough circles between two baking sheets lined with baking paper (6 circles on each baking sheet), leaving enough space between them, and let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preparation of the filling
- Put tvorog, sour cream, sugar, egg and vanilla in a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork to a homogeneous mass.
Preparation of the vatrushki
- First, take a baking tray with the dough circles and carefully make a hollow in each dough circle by pressing the dough with your fingers, leaving an edge about 1.5 - 2 cm wide.
- Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk and brush the edge of each piece of dough with it.
- Put about 1 tablespoon of the tvorog filling into each cavity and bake the vatrushki in a preheated oven at 180 °C top and bottom heat for about 20 minutes.
- While the vatrushki are baking on the first baking sheet, shape and fill the buns on the second baking sheet and then bake them in the same way as the ones on the first baking sheet.
Notes
- Instead of fresh yeast you can also use dry yeast. For the recipe you need 8 g of it.
- To give the dough the right consistency, add the last portion of flour little by little. The amount of flour may vary. The dough must be soft and somewhat sticky. It must not become too firm.
- Instead of using your fingers, you can use a drinking glass to make indentations in the yeast dough when shaping the vatrushka.
- Instead of tvorog, cottage cheese or curd can be used for the filling.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar for the filling according to your taste.
- Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the vatrushka at the top of the post.