Fresh Apricot Sweet Buns with Creamy Cheese Filling Recipe
Soft, pillowy yeasted buns filled with fresh apricots, creamy cheese filling, and topped with almond crumble.
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Equipment
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- stand mixer with a dough hook attachment
- knife, cutting board
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cooling, wire rack
- pastry brush
- kitchen scale
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 orange zest from one orange
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup cream cheese softened
- ½ cup ricotta well-drained
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 5 apricots pitted and sliced thin
Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cold butter
- 2 tbsp almonds sliced
For Brushing
- 1 egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together: flour, sugar, instant yeast, salt, zest of one orange, and ground cardamom
- In a separate bowl, whisk, egg, egg yolk, warm milk, melted and cooled butter and vanilla extract
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix with a dough hook or by hand until it comes together, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour if too sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.
- Before making the filling place the ricotta on a strainer and let it drain for few minutes
- In a medium bowl, mix until smooth: cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Chill the filling while the dough rises.
- Wash, pit and slice 4-5 apricots into thin wedges
- If they’re very tart, toss with 1 tsp sugar + a little lemon juice and let sit for 5–10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, rub together flour, sugar, cold, cubed butter, cinnamon,and vanilla. You can add some of the sliced almonds into the crumble as well
- Refrigerate the crumble until needed (cold = crispy!).
- Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into 10–12 equal balls.
- Flatten each into a disk (about 3–4 inches wide).
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced apart. Cover lightly and let rest for 15–20 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F (175°C).
- Press a little well in the center with your fingers or a small glass. Spoon about one heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the center of each bun.
- Gently press 2–3 apricot slices on top.
- Sprinkle with a generous amount of crumble topping (don’t be shy!).
- Brush the exposed dough with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp milk) for shine.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until golden and puffy. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped and the crumble should be golden brown.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients - for the dough and filling to help everything mix smoothly and rise properly.
Don’t rush the dough rise - letting it double in size fully makes the buns soft and airy.
Drain your cheese well - before mixing it into the filling to avoid soggy buns.
Keep the crumble cold until ready to use for the best texture and crunch.
Don’t rush the dough rise - letting it double in size fully makes the buns soft and airy.
Drain your cheese well - before mixing it into the filling to avoid soggy buns.
Keep the crumble cold until ready to use for the best texture and crunch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bunCalories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 9gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 185mgPotassium: 179mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 806IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
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