Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls (pirozhki)
Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls: fluffy, light as a feather, melt-in-your-mouth dessert, filled with homemade farmer’s cheese.
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These Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! That’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think about these. Dough is light as a feather, so fluffy and just melts in your mouth. Oh and that homemade farmer’s cheese filling…oooooo yummy!
I take out eggs and butter to warm up overnight, set the dough into bread machine early morning and go back to bed. Couple hours later, I wake up, roll them, fill them, bake them and eat them for my late breakfast.
The secret to that fluffy, feather-like dough is to let the dough rest in the dough cycle and before the oven; give it time, don’t rush. My mom suggested to pre-heat the oven and keep oven doors open to let the extra heat into the room. I even like to pump up our home heater to keep the house warm while I make these. This recipe likes warmth, and there’s nothing I can do about it, but enjoy.
Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls (pirozhki):
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast (about 1 envelope)
- Granulated sugar
- Warm milk (2% or whole milk)
- Large eggs – for dough and egg wash
- Unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled
- Fine salt
- All-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
Farmer’s Cheese Filling Ingredients:
If you prefer a simpler filling, you can do farmers cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt only and omit cream cheese and cool whip.
- Farmer’s cheese (crumbled into cup)
- Cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
- Cool whip
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
How to Make Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls:
1. In a small bowl or a measuring cup, add and microwave if needed 1/3 cup water (must be very warm, but not hot). Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp sugar and 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast; stir gently to combine. Cover with paper towel and set aside to rest until foamy (about 10 minutes).
2. In a medium bowl, combine 5 tbsps unsalted softened OR melted (slightly cooled) butter, 6 tbsps sugar and 1 tsp salt. Whisk to combine. Microwave 1 1/3 cup milk (30-40 seconds), whisk in 1 large egg into the milk. Then, add the milk mixture and the yeast mixture to the bowl with butter and whisk everything together to combine. Make sure milk and butter are not too hot before adding yeast mixture.
3. Into the bread machine basket, place 4 cups all-purpose flour. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour. Set machine cycle to dough. My machine takes 2 hrs and 20 mins to mix and rise. (Check if dough needs more flour when it starts mixing – usually I add 1/4 cup, maximum 1/2 cup).
IF YOU DON’T HAVE BREAD MACHINE: Complete step 2 above and gradually add in flour, mixing well after each addition; use your hands to fully knead the dough. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover with clean kitchen cloth and place in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours until the dough is doubled in size.
To Make the Cheese Filling:
4. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups farmer’s cheese, 2 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsps cool whip, 6 tbsps sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix well with hands to fully combine all the flavors. You can also do farmer’s cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and salt only for simpler filling.
5. Lightly grease 4 baking sheets and set aside. Transfer the dough from a bread machine onto a floured surface. Punch dough down to release air bubbles. Divide dough into 4 similar-to-equal balls. Work with 1 piece at a time.
Roll first dough ball into a 13-14” circle (like you’d do for pizza). Slice the dough with a pizza cutter into 16 similar-to-equal wedges. Spoon farmer’s cheese filling onto the wider end of each wedge. Roll each wedge up starting at the wider end. Place rolls onto a greased baking sheet 1” apart, pointed tip tucked under.
Repeat for the 3 remaining dough balls, using 1 baking sheet for 1 dough ball (16 rolls per baking sheet). Cover rolls with clean kitchen cloths and place in a warm, draft-free area until rolls are doubled in size for about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 10-13 minutes (1 baking sheet at a time), until rolls are dark golden on top. In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg with a fork and set aside along with a brush. As soon as the rolls are finished baking, lightly brush egg wash on rolls while they are still hot in order for the egg wash to dry. (In this recipe, I don’t apply egg wash before the oven so they don’t over-brown). These are their very best fresh. Store them at room temperature for up to 4 days, covered with plastic food wrap.
More Farmer’s Cheese Recipes:
- Sweet Cheese Filled Buns (Vatrushka Recipe) – soft and fluffy, freezer-friendly
- Cheese Pancakes (Sirniki) + Video – childhood favorite
- Crepes With Cheese (nalisniki) – the Ukrainian way, rolled with farmer’s cheese filling
- Farmer’s Cheese Blueberry Crumb Cake – tastes like cheesecake, once refrigerated

Farmer’s Cheese Sweet Rolls (pirozhki)
Ingredients
DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, about 1 envelope
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, + 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 1/3 cup warm milk, (2% or whole milk)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, - melted and cooled
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, (might need up to 1/2 cup more)
CHEESE FILLING INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups farmer’s cheese
, crumbled into cup - 2 oz cream cheese, I used Philadelphia
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt, (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- 2 tablespoons cool whip - optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl or a measuring cup, add and microwave if needed 1/3 cup water (must be very warm, but not hot). Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp sugar and 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast; stir gently to combine. Cover with paper towel and set aside to rest until foamy (about 10 minutes).
- In a medium bowl, combine 5 tbsps unsalted melted (slightly cooled) butter, 6 tbsps sugar and 1 tsp salt. Whisk to combine. Microwave 1 1/3 cup milk (30-40 seconds), whisk in 1 large egg into the milk. Then, add the milk mixture and the yeast mixture to the bowl with butter and whisk everything together to combine. Make sure milk and butter are not too hot before adding yeast mixture.
- Into the bread machine basket, place 4 cups all-purpose flour. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour. Set machine cycle to dough. My machine takes 2 hrs and 20 mins to mix and rise. (Check if dough needs more flour when it starts mixing – usually I add 1/4 cup, maximum 1/2 cup).
- IF YOU DON’T HAVE BREAD MACHINE: Complete step 2 above and gradually add in flour, mixing well after each addition; use your hands to fully knead the dough. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover with clean kitchen cloth and place in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours until the dough is doubled in size.
- MAKE CHEESE FILLING, WHILE DOUGH RISING:In a large bowl, combine 3 cups farmer’s cheese, 2 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsps cool whip, 6 tbsps sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix well with hands to fully combine all the flavors. You can also do farmer's cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and salt only for simpler filling.
- Lightly grease 4 baking sheets and set aside. Transfer the dough from a bread machine onto a floured surface. Punch dough down to release air bubbles. Divide dough into 4 similar-to-equal balls. Work with 1 piece at a time. Roll first dough ball into a 13-14” circle (like you’d do for pizza). Slice the dough with a pizza cutter into 16 similar-to-equal wedges. Spoon farmer’s cheese filling onto the wider end of each wedge. Roll each wedge up starting at the wider end. Place rolls onto a greased baking sheet 1” apart, pointed tip tucked under. Repeat for the 3 remaining dough balls, using 1 baking sheet for 1 dough ball (16 rolls per baking sheet). Cover rolls with clean kitchen cloths and place in a warm, draft-free area until rolls are doubled in size for about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 10-13 minutes (1 baking sheet at a time), until rolls are dark golden on top. In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg with a fork and set aside along with a brush. As soon as the rolls are finished baking, lightly brush egg wash on rolls while they are still hot in order for the egg wash to dry. (In this recipe, I don’t apply egg wash before the oven so they don’t over-brown). These are their very best fresh. Store them at room temperature for up to 4 days, covered with plastic food wrap.
Gina says:
This recipe was easy to follow and the ingredients were easy to find. The rolls came out great!
sandy says:
Hi Olga
Made such an amazing batch last night at first trial, such a perfect recipe you are now my to go for confectionery recipes. Much Love
Munazza says:
The recipe was easy to make I was really shocked just how easy it was.Just ready to taste them I definitely will keep this recipe.
Nina Novak says:
Question: can these be frozen before baking?
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Hi Nina! Without experimenting myself, I wouldn’t know how they would turn out being previously frozen before baking.
Gina W says:
Made these last night after seeing your story on instagram and they turned out so delicious. I did the dough in mixer and followed the rising times like we normally would for sweet rolls and I used farmers cheese and sugar only for the filling. They are so fluffy and soft even the next day. My husband and kids loved it and only few of the rolls were left this morning from last night. Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for sharing that with us and the wonderful review, Gina! I actually use farmers cheese and sugar only myself lately. I will be editing this recipe to make the filling simpler. 🙂
Clara says:
These turned out so well and so delicious. The texture is amazing, the filling is delicious. I added some raisins to the cheese since we like raisins and they were just WOW!!!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for sharing that with us, Clara! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Vika says:
We made these rolls for Thanksgiving and they were gone in seconds. I don’t think I ever tasted sweet rolls this delicious or so fluffy. Next time I will be doubling the recipe since one is obviously not enough 🙂
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Aww, thank you Vika! I’m so happy to hear these were a hit 🙂
Edie says:
These are magnificent! Fluffy, light and the cheesy filling are incredible. Saving this recipe.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks Edie, these are indeed magnificent!
jessica says:
Have you tried using poppy seed filling for these buns?Thanks
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Jessica, I haven’t because in my family we are not big fans of poppy seed, but one of my friends did my recipe with poppy seed filling and she loved it. Any filling that’s on the dry side – will work, I just never worked with poppy seed so I’m not even sure how to to prepare it to share it. Hope that helps 🙂
Anna says:
These turned out DELICIOUS!!! Will be my go to recipes for sweet buns:) Thanks for the recipe!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks Anna! ? This is my favorite lately too? In the past I used a different (childhood) recipe for sweet rolls but now this one is a winner!