Sweet Rolls with Blueberry Filling

The dough I made for sweet rolls with blueberry filling is very versatile and can be used for any kind of sweet rolls with different types of filling (cinnamon, cardamom, fruit filled, sticky buns) or even babka. 

Also it works perfect with sourdough starter or made just with instant yeast.

I made these sweet rolls filled with homemade wild blueberry filling.

The dough is soft, buttery, and easy to work with, making it ideal for shaping into beautiful bakery-style pastries. It bakes up incredibly fluffy with a tender crumb that stays moist for days. The homemade wild blueberry filling adds a bright, fruity flavor that pairs perfectly with the lightly sweetened dough. Finished with a simple glaze or enjoyed warm on their own, these rolls make a wonderful breakfast, brunch, or cozy afternoon treat.

Please see the recipe below.

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough starter 

• 10g sourdough starter
• 20g water
• 50g bread flour

Tangzhong

• 20g bread flour
• 100g hot boiling water

Dough

• 360g bread flour 
• 60g stiff starter 
• 140g milk 
• 1 large egg 
• 75g g soft butter 
• 50g sugar 
• 7g salt 
• 20g carrot juice ( for yellow color, optional)
• 0.5g dry instant yeast (optional to reduce sourness) if not using sourdough starter use 4g dry instant yeast)

Blueberry filling

• 250g frozen or fresh wild blueberries 
• 80g sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs sugar 

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, then roll it into a tight roll, place in a jar, let ferment at room 72-74F until it increases in volume about 2-3 times.(learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch here).
• Prepare tangzhong by boiling ingredients over medium heat, until thick paste will form, cover and let cool down until next morning.

Day 2

Dough

• 8 am mix starter, tangzhong,milk, egg, flour, sugar, yeast (if using),carrot juice ( if using)let it autolyse for 30minutes.
• During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This process activates gluten development.
• 8.30 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.

• Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together. If its not coming up together, feel free to add a little more flour (10-20g).
• 9 am  cover and let the dough  proof for 3- 4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
• The dough should become slightly puffy.

Note: if using only instant yeast, fermentation will take about 2 hours, until the dough will get bigger.

• 12 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation until next morning.

Filling 

• Mix frozen blueberries and sugar, over medium high heat, add lemon zest and lemon juice, let it simmer, until all juices will start bubbling.
• Mix 1tbs sugar and 1tbs cornstarch add to a blueberry mixture, cook until filling will get thicker. 
• Let cool off, store until needed.

Shaping

• 7 am sprinkle work surface with flour. Release the dough from container. Roll it into 15×15 inches rectangular.
• Spread evenly blueberry filling.
• Roll into a tight roll.
• Divide the roll into 2 inch pieces.
• Place each roll into a baking tray covered with parchment paper. You can use tart rings to keep rolls round.

• Let them proof about 1-2 hours, until doubled in volume.
• Bake at 375F for 22-25 min until light golden brown.
• Let cool down, spread cream cheese icing or white icing on top. 

Enjoy!

Sourdough Sweet Rolls with Blueberry Filling

245kcal

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 25 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 11 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

An incredibly plush, versatile sweet enriched dough utilizing a traditional Tangzhong paste and a stiff sourdough starter for supreme softness and maximum shelf-life. Rolled with a vibrant, glossy homemade wild blueberry and lemon filling, these stunning buns can be finished with a classic cream cheese or white sugar icing.

Servings 12 Large Sweet Rolls

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night Before)

• ▢ 10 g Active sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 20 g Water
• ▢ 50 g Bread Flour

The Tangzhong (Night Before)

• ▢ 20 g Bread Flour
• ▢ 100 g Boiling water

Main Dough (Next Morning)

• ▢ 60 g Stiff Starter All of the prepared
• ▢ Tangzhong paste All of the prepared
• ▢ 360 g Bread Flour
• ▢ 140 g Whole milk
• ▢ 50 g Sugar
• ▢ 7 g Salt
• ▢ Large egg 1
• ▢ 75 g Unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ 20 g Carrot juice Optional, added purely for a vibrant yellow dough hue
• ▢ 0.5 g Dry Instant Yeast Optional, helps tame sour profiles in sweet doughs

Wild Blueberry Filling

• ▢ 250 g Wild blueberries fresh or frozen
• ▢ 80 g Sugar
• ▢ Zest of 1 whole lemon
• ▢ Juice of 1/2 lemon
• ▢ 1 tbsp Cornstarch mixed thoroughly with 1 tbsp sugar

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment
• ▢
  Small Saucepan for cooking the Tangzhong and blueberry filling
• ▢
  Baking Sheet or Tart Rings Tart rings keep the rolls perfectly round
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Parchment Paper

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Evening Prep (Phase 1)

1. 10:00 PM: In a small glass jar, whisk 10g of starter culture into 20g of water. Stir in 50g of bread flour and knead by hand briefly into a tight ball. Roll tightly, press down into your jar, cover, and leave to ferment at 72–74°F (22–23°C) overnight until it expands 2 to 3 times its volume.
2. Prepare the Tangzhong by combining 20g of flour and 100g of boiling water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until a thick, shiny paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and let cool completely overnight.

Main Dough & Bulk Fermentation (Phase 2)

1. 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the mature stiff starter, cooled Tangzhong paste, whole milk, egg, bread flour, sugar, carrot juice (if using), and optional instant yeast. Mix on low just until a shaggy dough forms, then cover and allow to autolyse for 30 minutes.
2. 8:30 AM: Turn the mixer onto low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or speed 3 on a KitchenAid for 3 to 4 minutes) until well-incorporated. Sprinkle in the 7g of salt and mix for 2 more minutes until a solid dough ball begins to form around the hook.
3. With the mixer still running, add the softened butter in small chunks. Increase to a medium-high speed and knead for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough must fully come together, clearing the bottom and sides of the bowl. (If it remains too sticky after 12 minutes, add 10g to 20g of additional flour).
4. 9:00 AM: Shape the dough into a smooth ball, cover, and place it into a warm proofing area at 76–80°F (24–28°C) for 3 to 4 hours. Perform two separate stretch-and-fold sessions during the first 2 hours of this bulk rise.
5. 12:00 PM: Once the dough feels noticeably light and slightly puffy, transfer the covered container directly into the refrigerator for an extended cold fermentation until the following morning.

Compote Filling, Shaping & Baking

1. Prepare the filling by mixing the wild blueberries, 80g of sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, allowing the berry juices to burst and bubble. Stir in the combined 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp sugar mixture, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens into a glossy paste. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. 7:00 AM (Day 3): Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the cold dough and use a rolling pin to flatten it into an even 15×15 inch square.
3. Spread the cooled blueberry filling evenly across the surface, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border at the top edge. Roll the dough tightly upward from the bottom into a uniform log.
4. Using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 2-inch wide pieces. Place the individual rolls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (To maintain perfectly round shapes, place them inside individual greased tart rings).
5. Cover loosely and allow the rolls to proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until they have visibly doubled in size and feel pillowy.
6. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the sweet rolls for 22 to 25 minutes until the tops are a beautiful light golden brown. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before drizzling with cream cheese icing or a simple white glaze.

Nutrition

Calories245kcalCarbohydrates42gProtein5gFat6gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat0.5gMonounsaturated Fat1gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol16mgSodium49mgPotassium85mgFiber1gSugar14gVitamin A507IUVitamin C2mgCalcium24mgIron0.4mg

Notes

• How to Mix Tangzhong Correctly: A handful of readers mentioned confusion regarding when to add the Tangzhong step into the main process. Always prepare the Tangzhong the evening prior alongside your stiff starter build so it has ample time to drop to room temperature. It should always be mixed into your stand mixer bowl right at the start of day two, combining directly with the milk, egg, starter, and flour for the 30-minute autolyse phase.
• Commercial Yeast Conversion: This recipe is highly adaptable. If you prefer to skip the multi-day sourdough process entirely, omit both the overnight stiff starter and the 0.5g of instant yeast. Instead, add exactly 4g of Dry Instant Yeast directly to your main dough mix on day two. Because commercial yeast moves faster, your bulk fermentation will wrap up in roughly 2 hours at room temperature rather than 4 hours, and you can transition straight to shaping without the mandatory overnight fridge rest.
• The Secret to the Yellow Color: The beautiful, rich yellow interior dough color isn’t solely from the egg. Adding 20g of fresh carrot juice provides a lovely, golden bakery appearance without adding any noticeable vegetable flavor or aroma to your sweet rolls. This step is entirely optional and can be replaced with an equal weight of regular whole milk if preferred.
• Baking Vessel Modifications: You can bake these rolls grouped tightly together inside a 9×13 inch rectangular metal baking pan for soft, pull-apart style edges. However, if you prefer standalone rolls with cleanly defined, crispy boundaries, baking them spaced apart on a flat sheet pan inside individual 4-inch tart rings or metal bun pans prevents the berry filling from leaking out heavily and keeps them completely circular.

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