If I had to choose between different varieties of baked goodies, I would overlook cakes, cookies and pastries and choose a sweet yeast bread every time. There is something so comforting about a warm bulochka (bun) or a slice of poppy seed rulet. They are probably my preferred dessert because they are not too sweet.
Whenever I think of a yeast bread roulette, I am carried back to my childhood. These were my mom's specialty. Most of the time she would make roulettes with a poppy seed filling, (absolutely AMAZING), but she made this one quite often too. With my love for farmer's cheese, of course this is my favorite filling.
This time, I made the roulette using the dough recipe from Taste of Home. You will not be able to stop with just one slice - it just melts in your mouth and you'll find yourself reaching for more. I am not ashamed to admit, my husband and I ate 2 loaves by ourselves in just 2 days. And we were both at work most of the time too. Where did it all go? It's a mystery to me:).
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. 
Add the warm sour cream, melted butter, egg, sugar and salt. Mix to combine. 
Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or use a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until a soft dough forms. Don't be alarmed when you see how soft it is; that's normal. 
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
I like to wrap the bowl in a heated blanket. You can also preheat the oven to 200 degrees, turn it OFF and then place the dough in the warm oven. Don't use the oven trick if you're using a plastic bowl, though.
While the dough is rising, combine the farmer's cheese (you can substitute with ricotta), egg, sugar, vanilla and raisins. Mix to combine. If want to make homemade Farmer's Cheese, I have a great recipe for it. 
Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough in half. On a very liberally floured surface, gently roll each into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. 
It may seem as though the dough is too sticky and doesn't have enough flour. Let me assure you, it doesn't. Be very gentle with it and don't mess with it too much.
Spread half of the filling over the rolled out dough, leaving about ½ an inch border around the edges. 
Roll it up, jelly roll style, starting with the wider side. Pinch the ends together and lay the loaves seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough. 
Make some slashes across the top of the roulettes with a sharp knife. 
Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes. Make an egg wash by whisking together an egg and 1 Tablespoon of water or heavy cream. 
Brush each loaf with the egg wash. 
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes.
Here's another filling idea. I still can't decide which one I like better, they're both SO good. This one is with cream cheese and raspberry jam. Absolutely delicious.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup raspberry jam, warmed
Mix the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Spread the cream cheese on top of the rolled out dough. Heat the jam in the microwave until it's thin and runny. Spread the jam over the cream cheese and continue with the recipe.
This filling is really delicious too. I generally decide on a filling based on what is in my refrigerator:). The sweet cream cheese filling with a tart note of raspberries is one of my go to combinations anyway, and it's a real winner in this recipe.
Roulette With Farmer's Cheese and Raisins
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup warm water 110-115 degrees
- ½ cup sour cream warm (110-115 degrees)
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups flour plus more for dusting the counter when rolling out the dough
Filling:
- 7 oz farmer's cheese or ricotta
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼-1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
- Add the warm sour cream, melted butter, egg, sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour and mix by hand or use a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until a soft dough forms. Don't be alarmed when you see how soft it is; that's normal.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, combine the farmer's cheese (you can substitute with ricotta), egg, sugar, vanilla and raisins. Mix to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough in half.
- On a very liberally floured surface, gently roll each into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. It may seem as though the dough is too sticky and doesn't have enough flour. Let me assure you, it doesn't. Be very gentle with it and don't mess with it too much.
- Spread half of the filling over the rolled out dough, leaving about ½ an inch border around the edges.
- Roll it up, jelly roll style, starting with the wide side.
- Pinch the ends together and lay the roulette seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Make some slashes across the top of the loaves with a sharp knife.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Make an egg wash by whisking together an egg and 1 Tablespoon of water or heavy cream. Brush each roulette with the egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes.
Olga, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe for roulette. This is the best roulette recipe that I have ever made or ever had and even my mom said that this is the only recipe to keep for roulette. The texture is so fluffy and so tender! Everyone loved this roulette.
You're an amazing woman, wife, mother and cook:) Thanks again Olga for sharing all these wonderful recipes with us! God Bless you and your beautiful family!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Dina!
I'm so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the roulette. It's one of our favorites.
I’m about to make these right now!! For some reason, I woke up and said “I want some bulachki!”
Thanks for the easy step-by-step recipe!
I'm about to make these right now!! For some reason, I woke and said "I want some bulachki!"
Thanks for the easy step-by-step recipe!
Oh, boy! Now you've got me craving them too. Guess what's going on my menu for the very near future?
Hi! How many days in advance can I make these for Easter?
I personally don't like making anything like this more than 2 days in advance. It just won't taste fresh after two days.
This has quickly become my husbands favorite yeast roll, of course I use his favorite poppy seed filling. After a long difficult day at work he loves walking into a house filled with baking aroma. Baking it again tonight 🙂
I'm so happy to hear that, Natasha.
My husband is a big fan of the poppy filling too:).
Delitious ! One bite takes me back home. My grandma use to bake it all the time.
Thank you a lot!
That's so awesome, Marina! I'm thrilled to hear that. I love food that brings warm memories.
love your dough recipe delicious, made it for the first time and my hubby at the whole roll himself told me it reminded him when he was little his grandma made him sladkiye bulochki so im happy that it turns out well and can make my hubby happy, thanyou your an amazing cook love all ur recipes and love ur site so easy with all the steps to follow, may god bless you dear:)
How wonderful! I am doubly pleased if I see my husband enjoying something that I cooked:).
I'm so glad you enjoyed the Roulette.
Just made this today...amazing! My husband said it looked just the store bought ones, but tasted way better:) Thank you so much for this recipe! I feel like i'm a pro now that this turned out:)
Thanks for letting me know, Nelli! I'm always so pleased to hear good feedback.
Hey Olga! I baked this recipe today... i baked the rulet for about 20-25 mins and it looked beautiful/well cooked on the outside of the rulet but the inside was a little raw. Any idea why? What are my options... should i just bake it longer? or did i do something wrong in preparing? It still turned out sooo good just a lil raw ;(.
Lena, every oven is different and most likely you had to bake it longer. Maybe you needed to roll it out thinner or there was too much filling. Either way, if you bake it longer there shouldn't be any issues.
This is one awesome recipe! 🙂 i've mentioned in my comment on your bulochki, that i've made this recently, and gotta say again, this was my first time doing the Yeast Dough. All turned out just amazing. The dough, the filling and the baking process. The texture was perfect, and of course the taste was awesome!
Thank you again and again for this lovely website, i've done so many cooking out of here by now, and was not disapointed even once. All 100% turned out great, and i'm just an ordinary cook, so i was very happy about all the outcomes. But again, the CREDIT IS YOURS, because you give us the directions and the visual: So easy to follow!!!! God bless you, girl! 😀
WOW! What a sweet comment. Thanks, Oksana K.
I am just an ordinary cook too. We all do our best for our family. I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. I'm always so excited when I hear that my recipes are enjoyed by other families.
Awesome recipe can't wait to try it. But I don't have a kitchen aid. What are my options? Can I mix it by hand or maybe bread machine.
Olga Ant,
You can definitely make this recipe by hand or in the bread machine. For the bread machine, use your dough setting.
Hi Olya, I would like to give this recipe another shot. Do you think this yeast bread can be frozen or refrigerated if not eaten within a week?
I've never done it. We always eat both roulettes in a day or two. Let me know if you try it.
ok you are amazing. today i commented on your plov page and i just made this dessert.... it's so soft and yummy!!! thank you! =]
That's great, Olga. I love reading comments when the recipe was successful. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi, I just have a quick question. After I've made the dough, should I let it rise in the same bowl that I mixed it in or transfer it to another bowl that's been oiled?
Hi Anna. Yep, I usually used the same bowl, just coat the dough in oil one more time, cover it with plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm place to rise until it doubles.
Hi Olga! Do you think I can use this dough recipe but with poppy seed filling? Although I must try it with farmer's cheese as well. I just happen to have poppy seed filling.Thanks!
Hi Oksana!
You can certainly use a poppy seed filling. Actually, you can use many kinds of fillings, like jam, for example.