Description
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pineapple Buns are a delightful fusion of soft, fluffy bread filled with a sweet and tangy strawberry cream cheese mixture. Topped with a crisp strawberry-flavored cookie crust infused with freeze-dried strawberry powder, these buns deliver a perfect balance between creamy filling and crunchy exterior, making them an irresistible treat for breakfast or tea time.
Ingredients
Scale
Tangzhong Paste
- 25 g bread flour (2½ tbsp)
- 30 g boiling water (2 tbsp)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 170 g cream cheese (6 oz, softened)
- 70 g strawberry jam (¼ cup)
- 20 g sugar (1½ tbsp, or to taste)
- 1â…“ tbsp freeze dried strawberries (pulverized into powder)
Bun Dough
- 250 g bread flour (2 cup)
- 30 g cake flour (¼ cup)
- 30 g sugar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- 15 g honey (a little bit less than 1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 25 g beaten egg (½ large egg, ⅛ cup, save the rest for making cookie top)
- 80 g milk (â…“ cup)
- 60 g water (¼ cup)
- All Tangzhong paste
- 4 g sea salt (½ tsp)
- 30 g cold unsalted butter (2 tbsp, cut into 6 pieces)
Cookie Top
- 70 g butter (5 tbsp, softened)
- 60 g powdered sugar (¼ cup + 2 tbsp)
- 25 g beaten egg (use the rest of the egg from making bread dough)
- 20 g condensed milk (1 tbsp)
- 120 g bread flour (1 cup, plus more for dusting)
- 2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries (pulverized into powder)
Instructions
- Make Tangzhong: Measure 25 g bread flour into a bowl; zero the scale and add 30 g boiling water. Stir until combined to form a sticky dough. Let it cool and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: Mix cream cheese and strawberry jam until smooth. Taste and add sugar as needed. Add pulverized freeze dried strawberries and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until use.
- Prepare Bun Dough: Combine bread flour, cake flour, sugar, honey, yeast, beaten egg, milk, water, and Tangzhong paste in a stand mixer. Knead on low speed until dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead Dough with Salt: Add sea salt and knead until dough stretches 2 inches without breaking.
- Add Butter to Dough: Incorporate cold butter cubes one at a time, kneading until smooth and passes the windowpane test (about 6-7 minutes). Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1 to 1.5 hours at 82-90°F until doubled.
- Make Cookie Top: Cream softened butter and powdered sugar. Gradually add beaten egg in four batches, mixing well after each. Add condensed milk and mix.
- Add Dry Ingredients for Cookie Top: Fold in bread flour and pulverized freeze dried strawberries until butter mixture is coated. Transfer to work surface, fold, and press with palm until well combined.
- Shape and Chill Cookie Dough: Roll cookie dough into a log, twist ends to seal, wrap in plastic, refrigerate until ready.
- Divide and Rest Bun Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface, divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball by tucking edges underneath. Cover and rest 5 minutes.
- Fill Buns: Flatten each dough ball into a 3½-inch round disk with thinner edges. Place a scoop of cream cheese filling in center, wrap edges over filling and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
- Prepare Cookie Topping: Cut chilled cookie dough into 8 pieces. Dust work surface and lightly dust cookie dough pieces with flour. Roll each to size sufficient to cover the top of buns.
- Apply Cookie Top to Buns: Place cookie dough on top of each filled bun with less floured side touching bun. Wrap carefully to adhere without gaps. Place buns on lined baking tray spaced 2½ inches apart.
- Score Cookie Tops: Use a bench knife to create classic criss-cross patterns on cookie tops or leave natural splits based on preference.
- Final Proof: Cover buns with plastic wrap and proof in a warm place for about 50 minutes until cookie tops crack/separate.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Position rack in middle and place empty tray on rack above to prevent over-browning. Bake buns on middle rack for 16 minutes until tops are crispy.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer buns to a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- Chilling the Tangzhong overnight enhances dough texture and rise.
- Adjust sugar in cream cheese filling based on the sweetness of your strawberry jam brand.
- Kneading time may vary depending on your mixer; dough should pass windowpane test.
- Work quickly when applying cookie dough topping; refrigerate portions if cookie dough softens too much.
- Proof buns at a warm temperature (82-90°F) for optimal rise and cracking of the cookie top.
- Use an empty tray above during baking to avoid over-browning of the cookie crust.
