Pesto and Mozzarella Buns

Pesto and Mozzarella Buns filled with almond basil pesto, mozzarella cheese, and topped with Parmesan cheese.

The dough for these pesto and cheese buns is from the recipe for the Chelsea bun Christmas tree by Paul Hollywood in the Great British Baking Show introduced to the Bread Baking Babes by My Kitchen in Half Cups. See her post for how to bake along.

The original buns are filled with all kinds of Christmas-y fillings such as mincemeat, apples, pears, nuts, candied citrus peel, and topped with jam, nuts, and cocktail cherries. Fortunately, we were allowed to fill the buns with anything we wanted.

I toyed with lots of ideas for bun fillings, including apples, cheese and ham, spinach and cheese, cream cheese and jam, pizza flavorings, or caramelized onions and cheese ... as you can see I was all over the place.

I settled on pesto with mozzarella cheese. First, it was super easy, second, I had all of the ingredients on hand, and third, it sounded delicious.

How to Assemble the Pesto and Mozzarella Buns:

First, you roll the risen dough out into a 20 inch by 14 inch rectangle. Next, you spread 6 ounces of the pesto of your choice over the dough. I used store bought pesto from a deli, but you can make your own if you prefer.

Next you sprinkle the grated cheese over the pesto. I used a combination of Gruyère and mozzarella, but you can use either one. Then, starting on a longer side, roll the dough up into a log.

Cut the log into 15 equal slices, about 1 1/2 inch wide, and arrange them in one large pan or two smaller pans. I used my favorite serrated bread knife to slice the dough, and a 14 inch round deep dish pizza pan for baking.

I did not form them into a Christmas tree!

Brush the tops of the buns with olive oil and sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese. Let them rise again, and bake for about 30 minutes.

If you don't have a deep dish pizza pan, you could use three 8 or 9 inch round or square cake pans, or one half sheet pan. I kind of guessed at the size of the pan. You want to arrange them with just enough space between them that they will grow together when they are baked.

The dough for these buns is a dream to work with, and the buns are delicious. They are great fresh from the oven. You can reheat leftovers wrapped in foil in the oven and they are almost as delicious.

Feel free to use any cheese you like, or any filling you like. The dough can be used with either sweet or savory fillings and toppings.

More filling ideas:

instructions

Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt on one side and the yeast on the other side.

Heat the milk and the butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted. The mixture should be lukewarm (about 100 degrees F).

Pour the milk and butter mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir it with a Danish dough whisk or large spatula.

Transfer the bowl to the mixer and mix on second speed with the dough hook for about 7 minutes, until you have a smooth dough. The dough should be slightly sticky. You can also knead by hand.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise, covered, for about an hour, until doubled.

Roll the dough out into a 20 inch by 14 inch rectangle with a long side facing you.

Spread the pesto over the dough.

Set aside 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the rest evenly over the pesto.

Roll up the dough into a tight log and slice it into 15 equal rounds, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Arrange the rounds on a large pan (or 2 to 3 smaller pans) about 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. They may not be touching. They will rise more in the oven. In the meantime, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When they are ready to bake, brush the tops of the rounds lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Today is the 11th anniversary of the Bread Baking Babes! I've been a member for almost four years.

More Bread Baking Babes' Chelsea buns: