You know those cream cheese Danish pastry things that you can usually find in most grocery store bakeries? As far as I’m concerned, Finnish quark buns are everything those wish they could be. The rich, soft cardamom flavored buns are filled with quark (a mild yogurt-y dairy product much more common in Europe than the USA) and tart fresh raspberries. The mildly sweet quark filling sets off both the berries and the buns perfectly, making these buns an amazing choice for any brunch spread or mid-morning snack!
If you can’t find quark (I can’t either) and don’t want to try making it yourself, use cream cheese instead- the results are excellent with either.
Tips & FAQs for Finnish Quark Buns
Alternate inclusions
I love these buns with raspberries in the filling, but you can replace these with your berry of choice or with raisins!
Can I Substitute the Quark?
Yes- You can substitute the quark for plain cream cheese. These are different in texture and taste- cream cheese is a bit thicker and has that distinct, well, cream cheese taste to it- but both are delicious in these buns.
How Should I Serve and Store Finnish Quark Buns?
If you’re not able to eat these they day they’re baked, I recommend freezing them for later. You can store in an airtight container on the counter for a couple days, however.
Serve as you would any delicious pastry, whether as a part of a big breakfast or brunch or alone alongside a good cup of coffee!
Tools & Equipment for Finnish Quark Buns
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Spice grinder
- Kitchen scale- optional
- Baking sheet
- Blender, for making the filling
Ingredients for Finnish Quark Buns
For the dough:
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Lukewarm milk
- Fresh ground cardamom (for best results- you can use regular ground from the grocery store. Buy cardamom here)
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- Egg, for egg wash
- milk or cream, for egg wash
For the filling:
- Quark or cream cheese: I make my own quark using this recipe from Red Currant Bakery.
- Egg
- Granulated sugar– you can adjust the amount of sugar in the filling up or down, to taste. The amount called for in the recipe will leave the filling moderately sweet, but still with a tang.
- Vanilla extract, or vanilla sugar
- Fresh raspberries (or blueberries, or another berry of choice)
The Process: How to Make Finnish Quark Buns
If you are making your own quark, make this in advance, then put it in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to mix the filling.
If you’re using cream cheese, it will mix best if softened to room temperature, so remove it from the fridge when you’re making your dough.
Make the dough
Stir the yeast into the water to dissolve. For the yeast to work properly, the water should be between 110-115 degrees. Place the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the ground cardamom, eggs, lukewarm milk, sugar, and salt.
Mix on low speed until fairly well combined, it doesn’t have to be perfect. With the mixture on low speed, gradually add the flour until the flour is all added, and dough is well mixed. It will be pretty sticky and may cling to the sides of the bowl quite a bit. If it is extremely wet and not coming together at all, add a couple more tablespoons of flour.
With the mixture on low speed, add the soft butter one pat at a time until all the butter is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and allow the dough hook to knead the dough for 10-12 minutes, or if you prefer to knead by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and knead thoroughly 5-7 minutes.
Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place to rise for about 1.5 hours (slightly shorter if your kitchen is very warm, longer if your kitchen is very cold).
Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
When the dough has risen, flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Use a bench knife to divide the dough into 18 equal portions- if you want to weigh them, they should each be approximately 55-60 grams. Shape each piece into a ball and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Lightly cover the buns with plastic wrap and place them in a warm spot to rise for about 30 minutes, until they are puffy.
Make the filling, fill and bake:
While the buns are rising, make your quark filling:
Add quark, egg, sugar and vanilla to the blender and pulse until well mixed.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
In a small bowl, beat egg and milk or cream together. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the top of the buns, then press a wide well into the middle of each bun, leaving a ridge around the edge.
Note- I prefer to add the egg was prior to pressing down the middle of the buns, because it makes the dough less likely to stick to my fingers, but if you prefer, you can press in the dents first and then only brush the egg was around the edges.
If using raspberries, roughly chop them, then place a few pieces of berry in the center of each bun. Spoon your prepared quark filling on top of the berries, filling the center of each bun. If you’re using quark, it tends to be a little thinner and may spill a bit over the edges of some of the buns- though this isn’t the goal, it won’t hurt anything. Cream cheese tends to stay in place a bit better.
Bake buns for 13-16 minutes, until golden brown.
These are best eaten warm or at room temperature on the day they’re made, alongside a cup of your favorite coffee (are you getting tired of me telling you to enjoy Finnish baked goods with coffee yet?)
Finnish Quark Buns (Rahkapulla)
Rich cardamom-flavored buns filled with tart berries & sweetened quark- (or subsititute cream cheese for ease!)
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water
- 1 cup (240 mL) lukewarm whole milk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 1/2 cups (540 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground or crushed cardamom
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- For the egg wash & filling:
- 1 egg for the egg wash
- 1 Tbsp milk or cream
- 1 3/4 cup quark OR 12 oz plain cream cheese
- 1 egg for the filling
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar- more or less to taste!
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- about 1 cup raspberries
Instructions
- If you are making your own quark, make this in advance, then put it in an airtight container in the fridge until it's time to mix the filling.
- If you're using cream cheese, it will mix best if softened to room temperature, so remove it from the fridge when you're making your dough.
- Stir the yeast into the water to dissolve. For the yeast to work properly, the water should be between 110-115 degrees. Place the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Add the ground cardamom, eggs, lukewarm milk, sugar, and salt. Mix on low speed until fairly well combined, it doesn’t have to be perfect. With the mixture on low speed, gradually add the flour until the flour is all added, and dough is well mixed. It will be pretty sticky and may cling to the sides of the bowl quite a bit. If it is extremely wet and not coming together at all, add a couple more tablespoons of flour.
- With the mixture on low speed, add the soft butter one pat at a time until all the butter is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and allow the dough hook to knead the dough for 10-12 minutes, or if you prefer to knead by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and knead thoroughly 5-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place to rise for about 1.5 hours (slightly shorter if your kitchen is very warm, longer if your kitchen is very cold).
- Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- When the dough has risen, flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Use a bench knife to divide the dough into 18 equal portions- if you want to weigh them, they should each be approximately 55-60 grams. Shape each piece into a ball and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
- Lightly cover the buns with plastic wrap and place them in a warm spot to rise for about 30 minutes, until they are puffy.
- While the buns are rising, make your quark filling: Add quark, egg, sugar and vanilla to the blender and pulse until well mixed.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
- In a small bowl, beat egg and milk or cream together. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the top of the buns, then press a wide well into the middle of each bun, leaving a ridge around the edge.
- Note- I prefer to add the egg was prior to pressing down the middle of the buns, because it makes the dough less likely to stick to my fingers, but if you prefer, you can press in the dents first and then only brush the egg was around the edges.
- If using raspberries, roughly chop them, then place a few pieces of berry in the center of each bun. Spoon your prepared quark filling on top of the berries, filling the center of each bun. If you're using quark, it tends to be a little thinner and may spill a bit over the edges of some of the buns- though this isn't the goal, it won't hurt anything. Cream cheese tends to stay in place a bit better.
- Bake buns for 13-16 minutes, until golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Subsititute raspberries for blueberries or raisins if you prefer!
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Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went in the comments! If you share on Instagram, please tag me at @sisuhomemaker. And I always love to hear from you- send questions, comments, concerns, etc to carol@sisuhomemaker.com!
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