These Cheesy No-knead Bread Buns are my no-knead version bread bun recipe, stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese for an oozy centre. Make the dough, keep it in the bowl and activate the gluten in a few simple steps. Then divide in to a 12 pieces and stuff each one with enough cheese to create the ultimate cheese pull. So what are you waiting for? Ready, set, let’s make some cheesy buns.
When making the Cheesy No-knead Bread Buns, we stretch and fold the dough instead of kneading it. Stretch and folding is a sourdough technique which I use all the time because it means the dough stays in the bowl. The process is super simple to do once you understand the basics. Combine the dough ingredients and mix it until a shaggy dough forms. Then pull the dough high in the air and fold it back in to the centre, turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Eventually, the repetition of this motion creates gluten strands which gives us a lovely, stretchy dough. The dough is slightly wetter when we use this technique but do not add more puehu parāoa (flour), just trust the process.
The Cheesy No-knead Bread Buns look great, what else do you have?
No-knead bread recipes have become a favourite of mine. Do you want a light, fluffy bread infused with kāriki (garlic), rēmana (lemon) and tāima (thyme)? Make this no-knead focaccia recipe. Or do you want a simple white loaf? Bake this no-knead bread loaf in a loaf tin or this rustic no-knead bread in a cast iron pot. If you want a sweeter variety, why not try my no-knead chocolate stuffed fry bread. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions), I am more than happy to help!
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
No-knead Bread Buns Stuffed with Cheese – Parāoa Iti e kikī ana ki te tīhi!
Ingredients
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- 2 ¼ C (565 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
- 2 ½ tbsp huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1 sachet (8 g) īhi horo (instant yeast) OR 2 tbsp (double the amount of Surebake/breadmakers yeast.
- 5 C + 2 tbsp (770 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 1 tbsp tote (salt, fine)
- 65 g pata kua rewaina (melted butter). If you don't want to use butter, replace it with 4 tbsp noni ōriwa (olive oil).
- 220 g tīhi mozzarella (mozzarella cheese).
Instructions
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- Add the wai (water) and huka (sugar) in to a large bowl. Stir it until the huka (sugar) is dissolved. Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast), stir again and leave until foamy for 5 minutes.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour), tote (salt) and pata (butter). Stir it all together with a bread and butter knife for 1-2 minutes until combined, use your hands to make sure all the puehu parāoa and pata (butter) are combined well. It will be sticky, don't add any more flour.
- Cover the bowl with a bowl cover or tea towel. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough. (Refer to the video for a guide).
- With wet hands, take a handful of dough from the side of the bowl, pull it high in the air and then place it in to the centre of the bowl. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat that process. Every time you place the dough in to the centre it is one count. In total do 30-35 stretch and folds. This should only take a minute.
- Cover the bowl again and leave for 30 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold process. This time do 25 stretch and folds.
- Cover again and leave the dough for 15 minutes to rise.
- Lightly grease a 25 cm by 35 cm tray with a little noni (oil). Try and get a tray close to this size as it helps the buns rise in a more uniform way.
- Tip the risen dough on to lightly floured bench. Divide the dough in to 12 equal pieces. Don't be tempted to knead the dough again here, we want to handle the dough lightly so the buns stay nice and fluffy.
- Cut the tīhi (cheese) in to 12 equal squares. You could also add a blob of (penu amiami) pesto or your favourite amiami (herbs) on top if you wanted a pop of flavour.
- Take each piece, add a piece of cheese and gently press it in to the centre. Fold all the corners in to the centre until you have a tight ball, seal the seams by pinching them with your fingers. (Refer to the video for a guide).
- Flip the dough over and use the table to help you tuck it in to a ball shape. Place it on to the oiled tray. Repeat with each piece dough.
- Cover the buns with a tea towel and rise for 45 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C. Bake for 25 – 27 minutes until baked and golden.
- To test if the buns are done, press the bottom part of one of the buns. If the buns springs back, they are ready. If when you press it, the dough stays indented, bake for a couple more minutes.
- When the buns come straight out of the oven, brush them with a knob of pata (butter) for a glossy finish. These are at their best, eaten immediately or they are delicious cut open and toasted the next day.
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