Strawberry Cream Cheese Brioche Buns
Before you say it, these are not danishes. I found this recipe on Instagram and the original content creator explained that these are not Danishes because the dough is not laminated. As someone who has made laminated dough before, I was relieved I would not have to do so again 😄. These did take a long time to make and I’ll admit, although they are delicious, it may just be easier to go to your local French bakery and buy them there. But there is something rewarding about putting in a lot of effort for something that will taste and smell divine.
I will say that learning how to make brioche bread is very useful and great because there are quite a few things you can make and they will all be delicious. For this recipe, I would recommend using store bought jam as mine was not as easily spreadable as the original one was. I even think that just making them cream cheese is enough because the taste of cream cheese + vanilla bean paste = heaven!
Ingredients:
Dough:
370 g bread flour
50 g sugar
12 g fresh yeast
8 g salt
185-210 g whole milk (start low, add more if needed)
70 g eggs (1 whole egg + 1 yolk)
65 g cubed, softened butter
Strawberry filling: (I halved the recipe as I made 4 strawberry/cream cheese & 4 cream cheese)
400 g frozen strawberries
200 g sugar
Lemon juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
Cream cheese filling:
200 g full fat cream cheese, room temp
30 g sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
Directions:
Dough
1. Add all the ingredients, except butter, into the bowl of your stand mixer. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes until the dough comes together. Add the butter.
2. Knead for 10-20 more minutes at low-medium until the dough has a smooth surface and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and proof at around 78F/26C for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Divide into 9 equal pieces and roll into balls.
5. Flatten each dough ball slightly and use your fingers to create an indention in the center of each bun.
6. Arrange on baking trays and proof for 30-45 minutes.
Strawberry Jam
1. Add strawberries, sugar, and lemon to a pot and bring it to a boil.
2. Simmer on medium/low for about 30 minutes or until thick and jam-like. Stir occasionally.
3. Lastly, sprinkle in chopped basil and let it chill in the fridge until step 5.
Cream Cheese
1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla beans in a bowl.
2. Keep it at room temp until the next step.
Assembly
1. Use your fingers or the bottom of a small bowl (flour it first) to create a larger indention in the center of each bun.
2. Fill centers with cream cheese and strawberry filling. Brush with egg wash.
3. Bake at 355F/180C for 12-15 minutes. [I had to change the temp a few times due to it baking uneven]
4. Drizzle on powdered sugar and top with more strawberries if desired.
