Bulochki (Russian yeast rolls) with Cream Cheese and Cherry Filling

My wonderful mama in law has taught me to make these delicious bulochki, I wanted to share the recipe!

You can and should double the recipe!! :)

Step 1 is to make the yeast mixture.
In a small bowl, combine:
1 TBsp yeast, 1 TBsp flour & 1 tsp sugar, whisk with 1/2 cup warm milk.

Cover with a plate and let it stand and rise.

In a stand mixer:
2 eggs& 1/2 cup sugar (mix well on high speed)

 

Add 3/4 cup warm milk (turn to low speed)

Add: 1 TBsp mayo, 1 TBsp sour cream

pinch of salt, some vanilla powder (about the amount below)

1/2 stick of butter (MELT IN MICROWAVE AHEAD OF TIME SO IT COOLS DOWN)

now, add your yeast mix (should rise by now, like in the pic)

Mix everything well, turn on low and add 1 cup of flour...
mix on high to get all this flour in, add 1 more cup flour... mix on high again and change your whisk attachment to a "beater blade".

Add 1 and 1/2 cups more flour (you might need a little more or a little less) Usually totals to 3 1/2 cups of flour.

Make sure after you mix it on highest speed, feel the dough with your hand, should be sticky but not sticking to your hands.

Has to still be a little sticky but it shouldn't stick to your hands.

Cover the dough with a plastic bag and a towel in that same bowl and let it rise.

After about 1 hr, when the dough rises, shake it to make it drop. Let it rise for another hour and do the shake and drop routine 3 times.
If I have no time to wait, I only do the shake and drop once.
Today though, I put the bowl covered with the towel inside my oven and turned it on for a few mins on lowest temp, to heat it and make the dough rise faster.

For the filling: Mix 1 1/2 packages of cream cheese and sugar to your taste (mixed with hand mixer)

When dough rises the third time, you're ready to play with it :)

Spray your baking sheet with pam and get some olive oil on the counter and all over your hands.








Grab a big ball of dough and squeeze out little balls on the counter....

Add a little cream cheese and one cherry

Spread a little so it will be easier to close

Twist to close

The closer they are to each other, the better.
I usually get around 30-36 bulochki with this portion.

Let them stand on your stove for another 10-20mins to rise. Then whisk one egg and brush each bulochka with this egg after they rise.

Now for the oh so yummy crumbs that will top all these bulochki! Just mix about half a stick of melted at room temp. butter with flour and sugar to your taste.

Keep adding flour&sugar until it looks like this.

Sprinkle your bulochki generously!

In the oven at 350 for about 20 mins or until it browns nicely.

ENJOY :))))