Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns

I’m back with more swirl buns! When I stumbled upon the recipe for Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns from the new Bake From Scratch cookbook, I decided to drop everything (which was really just taking a break from recipe testing for my next book) and make them. If you haven’t heard of Bake From Scratch, you can find their webpage here. They also have a monthly magazine that is a great read. 

The dough came together beautifully and was a dream to work with, and my family and neighbors devoured them immediately then raved all day about them, so I knew the recipe was gold.

Strawberries aren’t in season yet, but here freeze-dried strawberries are crushed into a powder (a genius move), and I was able to round up a few ripe strawberries at my local grocery store for the cream cheese filling. 

More Morning Bun Recipes:

• Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns
•  Morning Buns
• Strawberries and Cream Brioche Buns
• Cardamom Sugar Buns
• Cinnamon Buns. 

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A few things:

*Last spring I was on an episode of Cherry Bombe Radio recorded here in Minneapolis at The Lynhall. You can listen here. 

*The Lynhall is also currently looking for Grandmas to come and share family recipes! 

*I’ve been highly enjoying Season 3 of Documentary Now, a show which takes famous, real documentaries and turns them into a comedic version that just might be better.

If you enjoyed Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and the rest of Christopher Guest’s mockumentary movies, you will probably like this. 

*This week we celebrated World Poetry Day! If you forgot to celebrate, you can head this way and read poetry to your heart’s content. 

|| Sources ||
Material Kitchen | Pink knife
Williams Sonoma | Gold Touch Baking Pan
Canvas Home | Gold Cutlery

Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns

Servings: 1 dozen

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Soft, fluffy morning buns with poppy seeds in the dough and topped with strawberry cream cheese.

Sarah Kieffer

3.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 4 cups 508g bread flour
• 2 tablespoons 24g granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons 7g instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons 6g poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon 3g kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cup 300g warm whole milk (120F | 49C)
• 1/4 cup 57g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg 50g
• *1/3 cup 76g unsalted butter, room temperature(for spreading over the dough)

Strawberry Cream Cheese

• 4 ounces 113g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup 4g freeze-dried strawberries, powdered (see note)
• 1/4 cup 37g diced fresh strawberries

Strawberry Cardamom Sugar

• 3/4 cup 150g granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup 5g freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 teaspoon 2g ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon 1g lemon zest

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces 115g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons 21g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups 180g confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup 4g freeze-dried strawberries, powdered (see note)
• 2-3 tablespoon 30-45g whole milk

Instructions

For the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, poppy seeds, and salt. 
• In a large measuring cup, stir together the warm milk and melted butter. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the milk mixture and egg to the flour mixture, beating until a soft dough forms, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. 
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place (75F | 24C) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

For the cream cheese filling

• In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat all the ingredients at medium-low speed until well combined. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)

For the strawberry cardamom sugar

• In the work bowl of a food processor, place all the ingredients; process until well combined. (Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.)

To assemble

• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling evenly over the dough. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes. 
• Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. (I lined my pan with a parchment sling, and then buttered the parchment paper.) 
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough back into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the 1/3 cup room temperature butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle the butter evenly with the Strawberry Cardamom Sugar, gently pressing the sugar mixture into the butter. 
• Starting with one long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Trim the ends. With a knife or sharp scissors, slice the log into 12 even pieces. Place the pieces, cut side up, into the prepared pan. Let the buns rise in a warm, draft-free place (75F | 24C) until puffed, about 45 minutes. 
• While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 375F (190C). 
• Bake the buns until golden and puffed, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Drizzle with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. Serve warm. 

For the strawberry cream cheese frosting

• In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder, beating until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the milk, 1 tablespoon (15g) at a time, beating until the desired consistency is reached. Use immediately. 

Notes

** To make powdered freeze-dried strawberries, place freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a food processor, and then pulse until reduced to a powder. Wait a few seconds before removing the lid, because there is quite a bit of strawberry dust that needs to settle. Freeze-dried strawberries can be purchased online, and I've also found them at Target and Trader Joe's. 

* Recipe from Bake from Scratch, Volume 3