These homemade cheese buns, packed with cheddar both inside and out, are some of the best cheese bread buns I've ever tasted.
Cheese buns are super popular around here. You can buy them in any bakery, and they are always good. But the homemade recipe is even better. They are soft yet slightly chewier and denser than regular bread rolls, full of cheese, and rolled into even more cheese.
I've been baking cheddar buns for years now. I can't even remember the first time; I think even before the children were born. My husband was always a big fan. He grew up in a bakery, and although he knows nothing about cooking and baking, he does know what good bread and bread rolls are. And he definitely loves these cheesy ones!
And these breakfast bread rolls or the super-soft yeast rolls from scratch.
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Ingredients needed
Yeast: Either fresh, active dry, or instant yeast; I've used all these kinds over the years, and they all work.
- Fresh yeast: Crumble it into the lukewarm water, mix in the sugar, and let stand for about 5 minutes.
- Active dry yeast: The procedure is the same.
- Instant yeast: Just mix it with the flour.
Cheese: Originally, I was making the cheese buns with Gouda. It works great as well, but I find Cheddar the better option nowadays, it has a slightly stronger taste and a stronger color. I always buy a whole block and grate it myself, either with a box grater or a food processor. In this case, it is worth it to use the food processor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cheese buns?
Although made with yeast the dough for these bread rolls could not be easier to make. Really, especially if using the instant kind, it all comes down to mixing the ingredients and doing a bit of kneading. And if you knead the ingredients in the stand mixer, everything gets even easier.
Step #1: Mix dough ingredients and knead the dough for about 5 minutes by hand or about 3 minutes with the mixer until smooth and elastic. Let rise for about 2 hours.
Step #2: You can either form a thick sausage and divide it into 12 buns or tear lumps of dough and form the buns.
Step #3: I prefer to weigh each piece on the kitchen scale; it makes the rolls more regular. Knead the pieces shortly and form the buns.
Step #4: Brush the buns with the egg mixture and roll them into the grated cheese.
Step #5: Place the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, cover the tray with a kitchen towel, and let them rise lightly for another 15 minutes.
Step #6: Bake the cheesy buns for 20 minutes or until deeply golden.
Good to know!
If you use fresh or active dry yeast, crumble/sprinkle it in the lukewarm water, add the sugar and stir gently. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then combine with the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough.
Rising time for yeast dough
The rising time greatly depends on the kind of yeast you use and on the temperature in your kitchen.
Dough made with the fresh sort will need less time, so check it after about 1 to 1 ยฝ hours; it should have slightly doubled in size.
If the kitchen is warm, the rising time will be shorter as well. Be sure to check. If the kitchen is not warm enough, place the bowl in the oven and turn on the oven light - just the light, not the oven.
How to store the buns?
The cheese buns keep well for 2-3 days, wrapped in a kitchen towel. They are always best on the day you've baked them, but you will still like them the following days.
Freeze them in freezer bags. You can refresh them in the oven before serving.
How to serve them?
These cheddar cheese buns are so good and hearty that you can enjoy them as they are - warm, lukewarm, or at room temperature. Split them and smear them with butter for a delightful treat, especially when warm.
You can also split and stuff them with cold meats, spreads, and vegetables, or use them as burger buns. They also make a great side for stew, goulash, or soup.
Try them with the Chicken and Chickpeas Stew, Stewed Turkey, Spanish Vegetable Soup, Mushroom Soup without Cream, or any other creamy soup.
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Cheese Buns Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g all-purpose flour 4ยพ cups, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast Note 2
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 375 ml water 1ยฝ cup
- 450 g Cheddar cheese divided, 4ยฝ cups, Note 3
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Dough:
- Mix: Place the flour, instant dry yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix well.600 g all-purpose flour/ 4ยพ cups + 1 tablespoon instant yeast + 1 ยฝ teaspoons sugar + 3 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Add the lukewarm water (about 40ยฐC/ 105ยฐF) and the grated cheese needed for the dough (300 g/ 10.5 oz). 375 ml water/ 1ยฝ cups + 300 g/ 3 cups from 450 g Cheddar cheese
- Knead dough: Mix well and knead the dough for about 5 minutes with the hands or about 3 minutes with the stand mixer until smooth and elastic.
- If you make the dough with fresh or active dry yeast, crumble/sprinkle the yeast in the lukewarm water, add the sugar, and stir gently. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then combine with the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough.
- Let dough rise: Place the yeast dough in a bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until nicely risen (Note 4).
Shape:
- Preheat the oven to 480ยฐF/ 250ยฐC. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grate the remaining cheese (150g/ 1ยฝ cups) and place it on a large plate. Mix the egg and the milk in a small bowl.remaining cheese + 1 egg + 2 tablespoons milk
- Cut buns: Form a thick sausage and cut the pieces of dough with a scraper or tear the pieces directly from the dough. You will have 12 buns (Note 5).
- Knead the dough pieces shortly on the lightly floured surface and shape them into balls.
- Brush each cheese bun with the egg mixture and roll it into the grated cheese.
- Let buns rise: Place them on the prepared baking tray. Cover the tray with a clean kitchen towel and let rise lightly for 15 minutes.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until deeply golden and cooked through. Check after about 10-15 minutes. If they are already very golden, cover them loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from getting too dark.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Measurements: A digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) will give you the most precise measure, ensuring the best bake possible.
- Yeast: You can use 25 g/ 0.9 oz fresh yeast or 10 g/ 1 tablespoon active dry yeast instead. In this case, proof the yeast. Crumble the fresh one or sprinkle the active dry yeast into the lukewarm water, add sugar, and mix gently. Let stand for 5 minutes and combine with the remaining ingredients.
- Cheese: 3 cups/ 300 g grated cheese for the dough and 1ยฝ cups/ 150 g for rolling the buns into it.
- The rising time depends on the yeast and on the temperature in the kitchen. Check after about 1 to 1 ยฝ hours if you are using fresh dough, and if the kitchen is very warm, the dough should be almost double in size.
- I prefer to weigh each clump of dough on the kitchen scale.
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