These Apple Streusel Cheesecake Buns are soft fluffy brioche buns with a cream cheese centre topped with spiced apples and a crunchy buttery streusel on top. An irresistible treat!
What are these Apple Streusel Cheesecake Buns
Winter in a bun! These apple streusel cheesecake buns are the ideal cold day dessert. These buns are truly the epitome of comfort food. A soft fluffy brioche bun is the main vessel for a luscious cream cheese filling in the middle. On top there is a generous topping of spiced diced apples and finished with streusel chunks. The buns are soft with a creamy centre, the apple and streusel add texture and flavour to the buns which please multiple senses.
How to make the brioche buns?
The recipe for these brioche buns is quite straightforward, however you need patience in order for the dough to produce enough gluten in it, which will then become a light and fluffy bun. Ideally, the dough is worked in a stand mixer with a dough hook and is left to knead for a while so that this gluten develops. So as to check whether the dough is ready to be let to rest, I recommend to use the windowpane test.
What is the windowpane test?
To carry out the windowpane test, take a small amount of dough and hold it with both hands (using the thumbs and first two fingers). Gently, spread open your hands so to stretch the dough. Keep stretching gently until the centre part of the dough is translucent. If the dough doesn’t break that means that the gluten has developed and you can prepare your dough for the rising part. However, if the dough breaks easily when you open your fingers, the gluten hasn’t yet fully developed. Therefore, transfer the dough ball back to the main dough and let it knead for more minutes. Try again until the dough passes the windowpane test.
FAQs
How to store these buns?
Ideally these buns are eaten on the same day that they are baked. However, you can store these buns in an airtight container for not more than 2 days in the fridge. I like to slightly warm them up before serving if they are day old leftovers.
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Buns
Ingredients
Buns
- 300 g bread flour
- 125 ml milk lukewarm
- 1 egg
- 45 g sugar
- 7 g yeast
- 30 g butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Apple Topping
- 2 apples
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp butter
Cream Cheese Filling
- 200 g cream cheese
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Streusel
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 20 g butter
- 60 g flour
Instructions
Preparing the Streusel
- In a bowl combine together the flour, butter and sugar. Once combined, crumble everything up. Place in the fridge until it’s time to bake the buns.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla and sugar. Set aside.
Prepare Apple Topping
- In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together the chopped apples, sugar, butter and cinnamon. As soon as the apples start to soften – it might take up to 3 minutes – add the cornstarch. Let the mixture cook for another 3 minutes. Take it off heat and let it cool slightly before using.
Preparing the Brioche Buns
- In a mixer bowl activate the yeast by adding the yeast, milk and sugar. Let the mixture foam for about 15 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, add together the flour, salt and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Once the yeast is activated, add the dry ingredients together with the egg to the mixer bowl. With a hook attachment, knead the dough for about 3 minutes, until a soft dough starts to take shape.
- Then gently add the diced butter one piece at a time until all the butter is incorporated. Let the dough knead for about 10 minutes. Make sure it passes the windowpane test*.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour in the warmest place in your kitchen until it doubles in size.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and dust it with flour. Set aside.
- Once the dough is doubled in size, transfer it to a well floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and form into balls. Punch the centre slightly down with your fingers of each ball. Place the buns on the prepared tray keeping a good amount of space between each one. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F while the buns are rising.
- Once the buns have rested, flatten again the centre of the buns. Brush with the egg wash. Add a generous scoop of cream cheese filling, add the diced apples and sprinkle on top the streusel.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the buns have a nice golden brown colour.
Notes
Nutrition
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