Savory Surprise Buns Food

BACON, CHEESE AND CHIVE BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough: Warm the milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over low heat until it is about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees F). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and sprinkle the yeast over the the liquid. Sprinkle a pinch of the sugar over the top, and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes. Then whisk in the butter and egg yolk.
• Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until you have a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface, and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Add the dough ball, turning to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough ball on the plastic and note the time. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form it into a ball, and return it to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap, and lay it on the dough. Cover the entire bowl tightly with the rest of the plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to let the dough proof.
• For the filling: Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to medium heat. Whisk the flour into the bacon fat, and cook, whisking, until light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue whisking until thickened, about 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, add the egg yolk, Cheddar, chives, cooked bacon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir to combine. Let cool completely. (The filling will firm up a bit, but if it's too warm, it will be difficult to form the buns.)
• To fill and form the buns: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface, and press it flat. Roll it into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on the side opposite you. Starting from the side facing you, roll the dough up into a tight roll. Lightly brush the 1-inch border with water, and continue rolling to seal the roll. Fold the ends in just a bit, and if any spots look thicker than others, even out the roll with your hands.
• Cut the roll every 1 1/2 inches with a serrated knife, to make 12 buns. Place the buns cut-side down (except for the end pieces) in the prepared pan, spacing them 1 inch apart. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place to rise until the buns double in size, leaving no gaps in between, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• For the topping: Stir the butter, chives and Parmesan in a small bowl; set aside.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the buns until they're golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed lightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Spread the topping evenly over the buns, and return them to the oven for 5 minutes more. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

SAVORY HERB AND PARMESAN ROLLS

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• For the dough: Heat the milk in a small saucepot over the indirect-heat side of the grill to take the chill off. The milk should be between 110 and 115 degrees F. To the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the warmed milk and yeast. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the sugar on top, then let stand for 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to foam.
• While you're waiting, melt the butter in a small saucepot over the indirect-heat side of the grill. When the butter has fully melted, continue to cook until browned, nutty and fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly. When the yeast mixture looks very foamy, add the browned butter and egg yolk and mix.
• In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, then add to the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough begins to climb the hook and pull away from the bowl. Continue to mix until the dough is shiny and elastic, about 5 minutes. Turn out into a greased bowl, flipping once so the top is coated as well. Cover and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• For the filling: In the meantime, make the filling and prepare your pan. Combine the Parmesan, scallions, parsley, garlic and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Place a 10-inch cast-iron pan over indirect heat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 5-by-15-inch rectangle. Spread the filling mixture over the entire surface, leaving a 1/2-inch clean edge on the side furthest away from you. Begin to tightly roll up into a log, pinching at the seam. Using non-flavored dental floss, slice the log into 6 pieces by first cutting in half and then cutting each half into thirds. This will ensure even sizing. Place the 6 rolls into the prepared pan, leaving some spacing in between. Cover and put in a draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Place the pan on the indirect-heat side of the grill and cover the grill with a lid. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and invert onto a plate. Drizzle with hot honey and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Serve.

CHOCOLATE-STUFFED PIGGY BUNS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the milk, yeast, sugar, and flour with a rubber spatula until the dough starts to come together.
• Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and mix the dough on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, until smooth.
• Cover the dough with a wet towel and let rest for 1 hour.
• Pull off about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball, then roll out into a log. Fold the outer ends of the log inward to overlap the center, then roll out into a log again. Repeat 2-3 more times, until the dough is very smooth. Roll the dough into a ball again. Press the ball flat, then flip so the less-smooth side is up. Press a chocolate truffle into the center, then wrap the dough around the truffle to seal. Roll into a smooth ball again and place on a small square of parchment paper. Repeat to make 12 total buns, leaving some excess dough for decorating.
• Add a few drops of pink food coloring to another portion of dough and roll out the dough as before, until the color is uniform.
• Pull off a very small portion of dough and add a drop of black food coloring. Knead until the coloring is uniform.
• Use a finger to slightly dampen the outside of a bun. Stick on 2 small dots of black dough for the eyes. Shape a piece of pink dough into a flat disc, then stick on the front of the bun for the nose. Shape 2 more small pieces of pink dough into cone shapes, then stick on top of the bun for the ears. Use the end of a chopstick to poke 2 holes in the snout, then into the center of the ears to make folds. Repeat with the remaining buns.
• Let the buns rest for 30 minutes.
• Fill the bottom of a steamer with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (If you don't have a steamer, fill a large pot with a bowl at the bottom with water, then place a plate on top of the bowl, making sure the water does not come over the edges of the plate.)
• Add the buns to the steamer, leaving enough space for the buns to expand. Cover the pot and steam the buns for 9-10 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through. Turn off the heat and let the buns rest in the steamer for 5 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!