Soft, eggless Sweet Fruit Rolls filled with tutti frutti (candied dried papaya). Enjoy them plain or spread with jam and butter for a delightful snack.
This recipe brings back childhood memories. Foods you grew up with always feel special — I recently learned to make peda from my nani (grandmother), a simple yet time-consuming sweet made by reducing milk to solids and cooking with sugar until it holds shape. That hands-on process reminded me how much patience traditional treats require.
Sweet fruit rolls, also called tutti frutti buns, are another nostalgic favorite. Tutti frutti — candied papaya — appears in many Indian baked goods and always catches my eye. I loved these sweet buns as a child; they were an occasional treat that I enjoyed plain or with a dab of butter. One of my favorite cookies, Karachi biscuits, also uses tutti frutti.
After buying a large packet of tutti frutti from an Indian grocery, I started experimenting and recreated these rolls. They turned out soft and pleasantly pink from the colored tutti frutti — a festive bonus. The rolls are eggless and simple to make, based on the same dough I use for homemade pav, with a bit more sugar and the addition of tutti frutti.
These fruit rolls are best served warm with butter or jam and pair beautifully with masala chai. The recipe yields large, soft rolls; you can make smaller ones if you prefer. I made 12 generously sized rolls from this batch.
Method
Start by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, milk powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is uniform and set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the warm water (about 115°F / 46°C) and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir briefly, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. If the yeast does not foam, it’s inactive — discard and repeat with fresh yeast and warm water.
Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or use your hands. Add the activated yeast liquid and the tutti frutti to the flour. Knead for 7–8 minutes in the mixer, or 10–12 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, and coat the top and sides with a little oil or butter. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
After the first rise, turn the dough onto a floured surface, punch it down to release air, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (a kitchen scale helps for even sizing). Shape each portion into a smooth ball and arrange them in a 9 x 13 inch baking tray, leaving space between each ball for expansion.
Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 30–45 minutes, until doubled. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the tops with milk and bake for 12–13 minutes, until lightly golden.
Remove the tray from the oven and immediately brush the hot rolls with melted butter. Serve warm with butter or jam.
Sweet Fruit Rolls
Soft and eggless rolls filled with candied dried papaya. Best enjoyed with butter or jam and a cup of chai.
Prep Time: 2 hrs | Cook Time: 12 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs 12 mins | Servings: 12 fruit rolls
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dried milk powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (around 115°F / 46°C)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1.25 cups tutti frutti
- Milk, to brush on top of rolls
- Melted butter, to brush on top of rolls
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix flour, milk powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and combine. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine warm water and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, then add the yeast. Stir and let it proof for 5–10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.
- Transfer the flour mix to a stand mixer bowl or a working surface. Add the proofed yeast liquid and the tutti frutti.
- Knead the dough for 7–8 minutes with a dough hook, or 10–12 minutes by hand, until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, coat the top with oil or butter, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough on a floured surface, let it rest for 10 minutes, then divide into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with space between them. Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the risen rolls with milk and bake for 12–13 minutes until lightly brown.
- Brush hot rolls with melted butter and serve warm with butter or jam.
Sweet Fruit Rolls
