Ricotta Sweet Buns

In Israel these sweet buns are simply called yeast pastries, they are like a combination of Challa (Jewish bread) with its soft texture and cake with the touch of sweetness and ricotta filling. I admit I have a minor addiction to yeast pastries, Max knows one of the first things I do when returning to Israel is stop by the nearest bakery to buy a few cheese filled pasteries. I have saved this recipe for a while and finally decided it was time to make it. I can really only say they are amazing, and after making these I decided my search for the perfect sweet bun recipe can end here. The recipe is from one of my favorite bakeries in Tel-Aviv, Dallal Bakery. If you are ever in Tel-Aviv, go to Neve Tzedek my favorite neighborhood in Tel-Aviv and look for this bakery!

See the recipe below...

Ricotta Sweet Buns
Makes 10-11 buns
*Notice dough has rest in the fridge overnight)
(please notice this recipe is in grams, cup measurements in brackets)

For dough:
500 g. (3 1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp.) flour
70 g. (1/3 c. + 1 tsp.) sugar
10 g. (2 tsp.) salt
25 g. (5 tsp.) instant dry yeast
5 large eggs
200 g. (1 c. minus a Tbsp.) butter (at room temp.)

For syrup:
100 g. (1/2 c.) sugar
120 ml. (1/2 c.) water

For Filling:
70 g.(3/4 c.) softened butter
450 g.(2 c.) ricotta cheese
90 g.(3/4 c.) powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 yolk
2 tsp. cornstarch
80 g. (around 1/2 c.) dried cranberries or chocolate chunks

Make the dough:
Add flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixer bowl and beat together. Add eggs one at a time and beat at low speed for 4-5 min. until you get an elastic dough. Add butter gradually and beat on medium speed for about 10 min. until the dough is smooth and shiny. Place dough in a bowl and cover, let rest overnight in fridge.

Once your dough has rested overnight make the syrup:
Bring the water and sugar to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 5 min. Let cool.

Make the filling:
Add butter, ricotta cheese, powder sugar, and vanilla and mix together. Mix in egg and yolk slightly. Add cornstarch and mix until just incorporated.

Prepare baking sheet with baking paper. If you would like your buns to keep their shape bake in a round cake baking pan.

Make the buns:
Roll the dough on a floured counter top into a rectangle of 70 cm. length and 25 cm. width, thickness of 3 mm. Spread the filling evenly on rectangle and sprinkle cranberries or chocolate on top. Gently roll the dough to make one long roll. Cut into 10-11 rolls with a sharp knife. Place buns in baking pan. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 170 C (340 F) degrees.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after taking them out of the oven brush with syrup and let cool before serving them.

Enjoy every minute and crumb!