Dutch vanilla cream rolls (puddingbroodjes)

Preparation – 20 minutes + waiting time

First, make the pastry cream; half the quantity of the recipe is enough. Let the pastry cream cool completely while you make the rolls. You can also use ready-made pastry cream.

Mix a sachet of yeast with half of the lukewarm milk. Make sure the milk is not too warm. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes until it starts to foam.

You can knead the dough by hand or with an electric stand mixer. Mix the flour with the caster or granulated sugar and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture and the rest of the lukewarm milk.

Add 20 grams of softened butter and keep kneading until a nice smooth dough is formed.  

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for around an hour.

Finishing the Dutch vanilla cream rolls – 1 hour

Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll into balls and cover again with a clean tea towel. Let them rise for another 15 minutes.

Roll out the centre of each ball, with a rolling pin, to make an oval shape. Make sure that the top and bottom remain thicker and that there is a groove in the middle. Repeat for all the dough balls, then spread them with a thin layer of sunflower or other neutral oil.

Fold the dough in half and lightly press the surface.

Repeat for the remaining dough balls and transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Cover, again, with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240 degrees celsius. The rolls are baked quickly at a high temperature.

Bake the rolls for around 10 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven and spread the top with a layer of butter. It is best to use a silicone brush for this. Let the buns cool completely.

The layer of oil makes it easy to open the bun by gently pulling it apart. You can use a small knife for this.

Place the pastry cream in a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and fill the buns with the cream. Make sure there is enough pastry cream to fill the back of the rolls.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve immediately. Enjoy!