Yeasted Apple Buns with Cottage Cheese Filling and Crumble Topping
·Making the dough base
Take the butter and eggs out so they can come to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, lukewarm milk, egg, instant yeast, both sugars, yogurt, salt, lemon zest and nutmeg. Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the ingredients come together.
Kneading the dough
Add the softened butter to the mixture. Increase the speed and knead with the mixer for about 12 minutes. The dough will be beautifully smooth but still a little sticky — don't add extra flour! Using a spatula greased with oil, scrape the dough together and shape it into a ball.
Letting the dough rise
Transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl lightly greased with oil. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, peel and dice the apples.
Making the apple filling
Put the apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice into a saucepan and sauté. If the apples aren't releasing enough juice, add a splash of water. Let them soften and caramelize. Mix the cornstarch with a little water and pour it into the apples. Simmer until thickened, then take off the heat.
Preparing the cottage cheese filling and shaping the dough
In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the cottage cheese filling. Divide the risen dough into 4 pieces, shape into balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let them rest for another 15 minutes under a tea towel.
Shaping and filling the buns
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Using the bottom of a glass (dipped in flour), press a hollow into the centre of each dough ball. Brush the edges with beaten egg yolk. Fill the hollow first with the cottage cheese filling, then top with the apple mixture.
Crumble topping and baking
In a bowl, rub cold butter, sugar and flour together with your fingers until you get a crumbly texture. Generously sprinkle it over the buns. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
Finishing with glaze
Let the buns cool. For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with milk (and a splash of brandy for extra aroma) in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled buns and let it set.