Carnival Buns with Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
Soft, fluffy swirled buns filled with creamy strawberry cheesecake and baked until golden.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 105°F to 110°F
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- Soft butter or neutral oil for greasing bowl and baking sheet
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave until it reaches 105°F to 110°F, then pour it into a mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the warm milk, add 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, whisk to combine, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- Whisk in the remaining granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt until smooth.
- Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon or dough hook until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn it once to coat, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste to the cream cheese and beat until thick, glossy, and well combined.
- Pat the chopped strawberries dry with paper towels, then gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture until evenly distributed; refrigerate the filling while the dough finishes rising.
- Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
- Punch down the risen dough to release air, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches and about 1/4 inch thick, with the long side facing you.
- Spread the strawberry cheesecake filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the long side farthest from you.
- Starting from the long side closest to you, roll the dough up tightly into a log, pinching the seam to seal.
- Use a sharp knife or dental floss to slice the log into 12 even pieces about 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Arrange the slices cut side up on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each bun.
- Cover the buns loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- During the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F until they are lightly golden on top and the centers are just set.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the buns cool for at least 20 minutes before serving so the cheesecake filling can set.
Notes
- If the yeast mixture does not become foamy during blooming, discard it and start over with fresh yeast.
- Blotting the strawberries dry before folding them into the filling helps prevent excess moisture and runny filling.
- For extra sweetness, dust the cooled buns with powdered sugar just before serving.
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and rewarm gently before serving.
- Blotting the strawberries dry before folding them into the filling helps prevent excess moisture and runny filling.
- For extra sweetness, dust the cooled buns with powdered sugar just before serving.
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and rewarm gently before serving.