These homemade Polish strawberry sweet rolls (drożdżówki) are surprisingly easy to make and taste very similar to the legit bakery version. If you've ever wanted to recreate an authentic Polish pastry at home, this recipe is a wonderful place to start. I filled them with budyń (vanilla pudding), fresh strawberries and buttery crumble.
There are few things that smell more like a Polish home than fresh yeast dough baking in the oven (well maybe except for rosół).
Growing up in Poland, drożdżówki were everywhere—from neighborhood bakeries to school cafeterias and our own kitchens. Soft, fluffy, and filled with sweet cheese (twaróg), creamy pudding (budyń), fruit or poppy seed filling, they were the kind of treat or breakfast that tasted like home.
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Recipe at a glance 🍓
What it is: Soft Polish yeast rolls filled with thick vanilla pudding (budyń), fresh strawberries, and topped with buttery crumble.
Cuisine: Polish
Prep time: About 30 minutes (plus rising time)
Bake time: 20–25 minutes
Total time: About 2 hours
Yield: 6 sweet rolls
Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredient notes
- Flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works best
- Yeast - active dry yeast is what I used
- Sugar - regular white sugar
- Butter - at room temperature
- Egg - one large fresh egg
- Milk - warm but not hot
- Pudding mix - I used Polish budyń waniliowy (you can get it on Amazon) but Jello vanilla pudding mix or similar will also work
- Fresh strawberries - ripe but still firm work best
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Make the crumble. Rub together the flour and butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Chill while the dough rises.
- Step 2: Activate the yeast. Mix the warm milk, yeast, sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for about 10–15 minutes until it becomes bubbly and foamy.
- Step 3: Make the dough. Combine the flour, sugar, egg, melted butter, remaining warm milk, and yeast starter. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Step 4: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Step 5: Form the rolls. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and shape into smooth balls. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 6: Flatten the centers with the bottom of a glass or your fingers to create a deep well for the filling.
- Step 7: Fill. Spoon vanilla pudding into each indentation and top with fresh strawberries.
- Step 8: Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle generously with crumble.
- Step 9: Let the rolls sit for 10-15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- Step 10: Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Success
- Let the yeast become nice and bubbly before mixing the dough. If it doesn't foam, start over with fresh yeast.
- The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Don't make the center indentation too shallow. A deep well helps keep the filling from spilling over.
- Use thick pudding that's completely cooled before filling the rolls.
- Fresh strawberries work much better than frozen since they release less liquid.
Storage and freezing
- Store leftover drożdżówki in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days although they are the best on the day you bake them.
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 4 days. Warm them in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving.
- These rolls also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before enjoying.
More Filling Ideas
One of the best things about homemade drożdżówki is how easy they are to customize. While vanilla pudding and strawberries are a classic summer combination, Polish bakeries make these sweet rolls with all kinds of delicious fillings throughout the year.
- Sweet cheese filling (twaróg): One of the most traditional options. In Poland, this is made with twaróg, a fresh farmer's cheese that's lightly sweetened with sugar and often mixed with an egg yolk and a touch of vanilla. If you can't find twaróg, cream cheese mixed with a little sugar and vanilla makes a delicious substitute.
- Other fruit: raspberries, blueberries, peaches or thinly sliced apples work beautifully, too
- Poppy seed filling: Sweet poppy seed filling (masa makowa) is another traditional favorite, especially around the holidays. It has a rich, nutty flavor and pairs beautifully with the soft yeast dough.
Recipe FAQs
It can be a little tricky to figure out if your drożdżówki are done without overbaking them. After about 20 minutes they should be golden brown. Open the oven door and gently lift one bun to see the bottom. If it's dry and looks baked, they're done. If not, keep them in for a few more minutes.
Absolutely. Traditional drożdżówki are also made with sweet cheese (twaróg), fruit only, poppy seed filling, or jam.
Technically yes, but thaw them completely and pat them dry to remove excess moisture. Fresh strawberries work best.
More Polish sweet recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Drożdżówki
Ingredients
Yeast starter
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dried yeast 1 packet (7 grams)
- ¼ cup milk warm but not hot
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup warm milk divided
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 large egg
Crumble
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tbsp butter at room temperature
Toppings
- 1 vanilla flavored budyń or Jello pudding See Note
- 8 strawberries halved or quartered
Instructions
Topping
- Prepare the vanilla pudding according to package instructions using less milk to make it thicker (instead of 3 cups milk use 2.5 cups milk).
- Let the pudding cool down completely before using.
- Cut strawberries into quarters.
- Prepare the crumble: In a small bowl, rub together the flour and butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Dough
- Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, sugar, and flour. Stir until combined and let sit for about 10–15 minutes, or until bubbly and foamy.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, egg, melted butter, the remaining warm milk, and the activated yeast mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms, then knead for about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Assembly and baking
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the buns: Divide the risen dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Using the bottom of a glass or your fingers, press a deep indentation into the center of each roll.
- Fill each indentation with vanilla pudding, then top with strawberry pieces. Brush the edges of each roll with beaten egg and sprinkle the crumble over the tops.
- Let the buns rise while your oven heats (about 10-15 minutes)
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool for several minutes before serving. They are best enjoyed the day they are baked.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
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