Garlic Cheese Hot Cross Buns
My favorite no knead all butter hot cross bun dough that is fluffy and soft, stuffed with a garlic and cheese herb butter, baked until golden and gooey. The buns are topped with more butter and a little parmesan cheese. It is a hot cross but but savory and perfect for easter.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowls
- Scraper/Spatula
- Cling film
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Brush
Ingredients
For the Buns -
- 380 gm Warm milk
- 14 gm Yeast
- 60 gm Castor sugar
- 600 gm Flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried herbs
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 80 gm Butter cold
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Garlic Butter -
- 57 gm butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 30 gm parmesan cheese grated
For the Garlic Cheese filling -
- 30 gm butter
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 tsp dried herbs
- 30 gm greek yogurt
- 200 gm cheese grated, coarsely chopped (I used a combination of mozzarella, parmesan cheese, brie)
- 100 gm cream cheese
- 100 gm kiri cheese
- 150 gm cheddar (cubes) (optional)
For the Crosses -
- 50 gm Flour
- 25 gm Water
- 25 gm Cream
Egg wash -
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp cream/milk
Optional -
- Parmesan on the top
Instructions
To make the garlic butter -
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until combined and set aside
To make the garlic cheese filling -
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except for the cheddar cheese cubes and set aside.
To make the dough -
- We start by blooming the yeast in a small bowl with warm milk and sugar. Stir and set aside for 10 mins until frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour and butter, rub them together until they resemble fine bread crumbs. Add the salt, garlic powder, dried herbs, black pepper powder into the bowl and distribute evenly.
- Add the egg and milk yeast mixture. Mix everything together until combined and no dry pockets. The dough will be sticky and that’s perfect. Clean your hands using the scraper or spatula and add olive oil onto your hands and the dough.
- Using the scrapper or spatula bring it together and briefly shape with your hands. Place the dough into the oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for over an hour until doubled in volume.
Assembly -
- After the dough has risen, remove the covering and oil your hands well before knocking the dough back. Transfer to a clean work surface and bang the dough onto the surface multiple times until it is smooth and not sticky. As and when required add more oil on your hands or the surface to avoid it from sticking.
- Portion the dough into 12 pieces, fill each piece with the garlic cheese filling, optionally add a few cubes of the cheddar cheese inside each bun. Pinch the ends together.
- Roll the dough into balls and transfer to the baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise for 15 - 20 mins until they are bigger.
- At this time, preheat the oven to 180℃. Let us make the mixture for the crosses, mix the flour and water together until combined, transfer to a piping bag. Beat the egg and cream for the egg wash in another bowl.
- Once the buns have risen, brush them with an egg wash and pipe them with the cross mixture. Bake them for 25-28 mins. They will be done when they are golden and risen, they will also have a hollow sound if you tap them. They will have a crust while they are hot.
- Brush them with the garlic butter and top with more grated parmesan cheese when they come out of the oven and let them cool down a little before serving. Serve with tomato sauce, pesto, eggs etc.
Notes
- If the milk yeast and sugar mixture doesn’t rise and become frothy then the yeast is dead, make sure to check your expiration date not the packet and it must have expired. Or the milk was too hot/cold to activate the yeast. It must be warm tot he touch.
- Do not skip on both the proofing times. This ensures the buns will be fluffy and light once baked considering we are not kneading it into submission.
- The egg wash gives a deep golden color on the buns but you can skip it.