Snowball Buns

1 . Stage

First dissolve the yeast in the milk at room temperature. Then add flour and knead well. Then add sugar, salt and vanilla sugar. Knead the dough for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth. When the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate the soft butter. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a spherical shape. Place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for about 1½ hours at room temperature (about 25-26 degrees). I made the dough in the bread machine. That's why only the ingredients for the dough are in the photo.

2 . Stage

While the dough is rising, take care of the cream. Our cream has three parts: ricotta cream, whipped cream and milk cream. It seems complicated, but it's actually very easy and quick. First, whip the cream until steady, and then place it in the refrigerator. Next, you need to prepare the ricotta cream. In another bowl, stir the ricotta with a spatula (or whisk) to soften it. Then add the powdered sugar and grated lemon zest and continue beating until it is smooth and homogeneous.

3 . Stage

Switch to the milk cream. Pour the milk together with the sugar into a saucepan, put on the heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then add honey (or clear syrup) and vanilla sugar. Bring to a boil. Then add cornstarch, having previously dissolved it in a small amount of milk. Stir with a spatula, and whisk for a few minutes until the cream is perfectly smooth. If the cream does have lumps, you can rub it through a sieve. Cover with cling film and allow to cool first at room temperature, then in the refrigerator.

4 . Stage

When the milk cream has cooled, add it to the ricotta and mix gently with a spatula. Cover the bowl with cling film and keep it in the refrigerator.

5 . Stage

After 1.5 hours the dough is ready. After this time, the dough will not double in volume, but will grow slightly.

6 . Stage

Transfer it to a work surface and divide it into 28 pieces. This is about 30 grams each.

7 . Stage

From each piece roll up the koloboks, transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper far enough to lift them.

8 . Stage

Cover with foil and leave again for an hour and a half to rise at room temperature. Since I was limited in time by the need to take photos in daylight, I had already popped them in the oven after 45 minutes. They were already quite fluffy. And airiness is vital as we will be filling the holes in the buns with cream.

9 . Stage

When the rolls have risen, combine the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and gently brush the surface of the rolls. Bake in the oven at 180 ° for about 18 minutes, until they are well toasted. I translated the recipe from Italian (google me helper), I got the combination: bake in a static oven. I didn't understand what that meant. I baked the first 8 minutes the usual way, then turned on the convection. The buns turned out great!

10 . Stage

Carefully mix the cream with the whipped cream with a spatula from bottom to top until smooth and place in a pastry bag with a narrow, long nozzle.

11 . Stage

When the buns are ready, cool them on a wire rack. Then, using a pastry bag, carefully pierce the base and fill with cream, then sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.