Cheese buns
These are soft cheese buns like the ones in Asian bakeries: a thin golden crust, a light and fluffy milk bread crumb, chunks of rich, salty cheddar hidden inside and a crisp baked mozzarella topping. The gentle sweetness of the milk powder against the saltiness of the cheese makes them just as good for breakfast as for an afternoon snack.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr 50 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 48 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
For the dough
For the cheese filling
For the topping
Instructions
Step 1
Put 300 g bread flour, 15 g milk powder, 5 g instant yeast, 40 g granulated sugar and 5 g salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in 170 g whole milk and 50 g eggs and knead until it comes together, then add 30 g softened unsalted butter and knead for about fifteen minutes more. Thorough kneading is what gives the buns that soft, stretchy crumb like bakery milk bread. The dough is ready when it's very smooth, not sticky and stretches into a thin, translucent windowpane without tearing.
Step 2
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, put it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise somewhere warm for about an hour. The yeast needs time to produce gas and lighten the crumb. The dough is ready when it has doubled and a floured finger poked into it leaves a hole that doesn't close up.
Step 3
Gently press out some of the air, weigh the dough into ten equal portions, roll each one into a ball and let them rest under a towel for about ten minutes. Weighing each piece ensures the buns all bake through at the same time. The dough is ready when the balls are evenly round and have relaxed enough to shape without shrinking back.
Step 4
Cut 120 g cheddar into fingertip-sized cubes, flatten each ball of dough into a disc, place cheese in the center, then pull the edges up, pinch them shut and turn the buns seam-side down. Sealing them tightly keeps the melting cheese inside instead of oozing onto the tray. The buns are ready when they're round and taut, smooth on top and with no cheese peeking out.
Step 5
Arrange the buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 5 cm apart, cover with a towel and let them rise for another forty-five minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C. This rise makes the buns puff up soft like little pillows. They're ready when they're about one and a half times bigger and a light press leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Step 6
Beat 25 g eggs and brush a thin layer over the buns, then sprinkle 80 g shredded mozzarella and 10 g grated Parmesan evenly over the top of each one. The egg wash helps the cheese stick and gives the crust a lovely color. The buns are ready when each one has a layer of cheese covering its top.
Step 7
Bake on the middle rack at 180°C for about 15 to 18 minutes. The short bake keeps the crumb moist while giving the cheese on top time to melt and crisp at the edges. They're done when the crust is golden brown and the cheese on top is bubbling with a few toasty brown spots.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer
- Pastry brush
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap
- Bench scraper
Tips
- Cubed cheddar holds its shape better than shredded cheese when baked, so the filling doesn't all melt away.
- Mix some finely chopped scallions into the cheese topping for an even more savory version.
- When your kitchen is cold, put the bowl of dough in a switched-off oven with a bowl of hot water so it rises faster.
Storage
The buns are best warm, on the day they're baked. Once cool, keep them in an airtight container for two days at room temperature or four days in the fridge; before serving, warm them in the oven at 160°C for about five minutes so the cheese softens again.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The cheese filling leaks out and burns on the tray.
- The edges weren't pinched tightly enough or the dough was too thin at the bottom. Leave the edges a little thicker and place the buns seam-side down.
- The cheese on top burns before the inside is cooked.
- The tray was too close to the top heating element. Move it down to the middle rack and cover the buns with foil once the cheese is golden.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
