Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns

Rhubarb blackberry streusel buns might be my new favorite breakfast indulgence, coming in right behind my beloved all-stars: straight-up cinnamon rolls.

These rolls remind me of a perfect coffeecake, with a tender dough, a swirl of jam, and then plenty of streusel and icing gracing the top of each.

I have a recipe for the rhubarb blackberry jam included here, but if you are in a hurry, any store-bought jam you love will also work fine.

The photo above shows them in a gorgeous 10-inch copper round pan from Mauviel, and it’s the pan I most often use to make cinnamon rolls and other buns. The streusel rolls always bake up beautifully, and it’s a great serving piece as well.

A few other things: The new Bake From Scratch Magazine is out (July/August Issue) and I am honored to be included in the 2018 ‘Baker’s Dozen’, with a spot-light on my pan-banging chocolate chip cookies.

We are two days away from summer vacation at our house! I’m reading Harry Potter outloud to my kids, and have started the Flavia de Luce Book Series for myself. But I’d love any other suggestions you have for good summer reads!

ZoeBakes made Coffee No-Churn Ice Cream Sandwiches from my book (affiliate link); you can find the recipe here.

Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns

Servings: 12 buns

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Inactive Time: 3 hours hours

Soft and fluffy breakfast buns with a rhubarb filling and a streusel topping. Reminiscent of the perfect coffee cake, but made into delightful rolls.

Sarah Kieffer

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup whole milk warm (100-110F)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 cups 568g all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 10 tablespoons 1 1/4 sticks | 142g unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Rhubarb Blackberry Jam

• 2 cups 250g rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 6 ounces 170g blackberries
• 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar (if your berries are really tart, you can add up to 3/4 cup sugar total, however the streusel and icing will add a lot of sweetness, so it’s better to keep the jam slightly on the tart side.)
• Pinch salt
• 1 vanilla bean split down the middle

Streusel

• 2/3 cup 94g all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup 66g granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup 66g brown sugar
• 1/2 cup 50g almond flour (rolled oats will work here, too)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature, cut into 6 pieces

Icing

• 2 ounces 56g cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 -1/4 cups 113g-142g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

For the dough

• Grease a large bowl.
• In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, milk, and honey.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, yeast, and salt and stir on low to combine. Add the egg mixture and mix on low to combine. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time. When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough, until all the little butter pieces are incorporated, 1 minute. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. The dough will be very sticky and you will need a spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Place your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough and gently pull the dough up and fold it back over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this folding again. Continue 6 to 8 more times, until all the dough has been folded over on itself. Re-cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this series of folding 3 more times, for a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

For the jam

• Place the rhubarb, blackberries, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean into a medium pan and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the rhubarb and blackberries have broken down and the jam has thickened. The jam will cling to a wooden spoon when it is done. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the vanilla bean and discard, then refrigerate the jam until ready to use. (Taste your jam – if it is a little flat, you can add a squeeze or two of lemon juice – about 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it brightens the flavor.)

For the streusel

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, sugars, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon on low. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together but still is quite crumbly.

For the icing

• In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, milk, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and mix again until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached.

To Assemble

• Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper (the photo shows the 10-inch Mauviel pan – if you use something similar, generously grease the sides and bottom of the pan with butter).
• On a lightly floured surface, fold the dough over 3-4 times and then form it into a ball. Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush the entire surface with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Start with 1/2 cup of jam, and spread the jam over the dough. If more jam is needed, add more until there is a thin layer over the dough (you don’t want too much jam, or the next steps will be extra messy).
• Roll the dough up, starting at the short end. Using a sharp kitchen knife or scissors, cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
• Set the buns in the prepared pan, 1 1/2 to 2-inches apart. Loosely cover the buns and let them rest between 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until they have almost doubled in size. (You can set these up the night before and let them rest overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning take them out and let them sit on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour.)
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and heat the oven to 350F. Generously cover the tops of the buns with the streusel before putting into the oven, gently pressing the streusel into the buns (there will be some streusel left over).
• Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes, just until the centers are set when poked with your finger, and the tops are light golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool 10-15 minutes before icing.