Vatrushka Farmer Cheese Pastry

One of the popular types of pirogues, plump Russian “vatrushka” (pronounced “vat-roo-shka”) always looks not only tasty but also sensual. It is a round shape griddle-cake open on top and closed around the sides which is usually filled with farmer cheese or cottage cheese on less commonly with jam or marmalade.

The name of this pastry comes from the word “vatra” – hearth, fireplace. This word has the same meaning in most of the Slavic languages – Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Serbian, and Croatian. Most likely “vatrushka” originates from ancient Slavic pastry which was round and reminded shape of the sun for a purpose…

Plump, sweet, fragrant vatrushkas are a perfect fit for your holiday table as well as your daily cup of tea.


Serves: 6 medium vatrushkas, but you can make smaller ones, about 8-10

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 4 cups (500g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 cup (270ml) warm milk
• 7 Tbsp. butter (100g), melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk for egg wash to finish vatrushkas

For the cheese filling:

• 1/2 lb.(200g) farmer cheese, I used Amish farmer cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg

Directions:

To make a dough: In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, sugar, and warm milk; put it aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture starts to foam. In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt. Add melted butter and yeast mixture. Knead until dough is well mixed. Cover with an overturned bowl or loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To make a cheese filling: Mix all ingredients for cheese filling together in an electric mixer until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
Return the dough to a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 6-8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place them on a prepared baking sheet next to each other, leaving enough space for it to rise. Cover with a towel and let the vatrushkas rise for about 30 minutes. Press each bun in a the center with a glass cup to form a hollow.
Fill the center of vatrushkas with the farmer cheese filling, leaving the borders empty. Brush the egg yolk on the edges of the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven until the vatrushkas are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Serve with tea, coffee or warm milk with honey.

Source:

http://www.melangery.com/2013/07/russian-monday-vatrushka-farmer-cheese.html