Name: Greek Buns Filled with Cheese
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups lukewarm water; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups (590g) all-purpose flour; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 cup olive oil; 6 ounces (170g) feta cheese; 4 ounces (113g) shredded Kefalograviera or Gouda cheese; 1/4 finely chopped parsley; 2 ounces (57g) salted butter; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; Fine semolina for the pan (optional)

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Warning!! These cheesy herb-filled buns are addictive!

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These addictive Greek buns filled with cheese and herbs are so delicious, and all you need is a handful of ingredients. The buns are light and soft, and the cheese filling is creamy and chewy. I like to use the traditional Greek sheep’s milk cheese for these buns, known as Kefalograviera. However, if you can’t find it, you can substitute your favorite melty cheese, like cheddar or gruyere. The herbs add a lot of freshness, and the combination is outstanding. Make these with a buddy so you have someone to take them away from you!

Why these are so addictive

Soft, fresh bread

Creamy, salty feta

Tangy chewy kefalograviera

Fresh parsley

Cheesy herb-stuffed light and soft buns that are easy to make and go with anything!

Greek buns with olive oil & balsamic dipping sauce.

A handful of ingredients

For the Starter

Lukewarm water
Granulated sugar
Instant yeast
All-purpose flour

Remaining Dough Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Salt
Olive oil -try the one in our shop from my family’s olive trees in Crete!

For the Filling

Feta cheese –sheep’s milk feta crumbled from a block for the best flavor
Kefalograviera -substitute shredded Gouda, cheddar, or gruyere
Parsley -finely chopped

The Topping

Salted butter -or unsalted with a pinch of salt
Heavy cream
Sesame seeds -black, white, or a combination
Fine semolina for the pan (optional)

Other fillings

If you’d like to stuff these with something else, go for it! They can be stuffed with veggies, a meat filling, or whatever you’d like. They don’t have to be stuffed with cheese or a filling at all. As long as you roll them into balls before putting them on the tray, you’ll have delicious soft rolls the way you like them.

How to make Greek Buns Filled with Cheese

Make the Dough:

Add all of the Starter ingredients to the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Set it aside for 8 minutes to make sure that the yeast is good. A puffy cloud will form at the top of the mixture. If that does not happen, discard the mixture and use a fresh container of yeast, or the dough will not rise.
Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl
Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture along with the oil and knead on low speed for 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
Set aside until doubled in volume -about 1-2 hours.

Prepare the Cheese Filling:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss them together.

Make the Buns:

Divide the dough into 12 balls.
Press each ball out into a flat circle -about 4 inches round.
Place a tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center.
Then, bring the edges together over the filling and pinch them together to seal.
Roll gently into a ball and continue forming the buns.
Line 2 baking trays with parchment and sprinkle a thin layer of semolina over the paper.
Place six buns on each prepared pan.
Loosely cover the buns with a towel and set them aside for 30 minutes to rest. They will puff up but not double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Combine the melted butter and cream in a small bowl and brush the buns all around with the mixture.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake each tray on the center rack for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.
Allow the buns to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Trick for rising dough quickly

When rising bread dough, you always place it in the warmest area of your house and let it rise until it’s doubled in size. For this dough, the fluffier it gets, the lighter the buns are going to be. So, I like to use my dryer trick. I put a couple of clean, dry towels in the dryer for about five minutes on high heat. Then, I turn the machine off, remove the towels, and put my bowl inside. The dough will typically double in size within an hour or hour and twenty minutes. Otherwise, it could take up to two hours or more.

How to Serve?

The list is shorter if you ask, “How not to serve these cheesy rolls?” They are perfect with literally anything. You can serve them alongside any salad or meal or by themselves for dipping. They would be great on a charcuterie board for a little something different. I like to make a dipping sauce for these with some really good quality olive oil and the delicious balsamic dressing from our shop. If you don’t have that, you can use good balsamic vinegar. I sprinkle over a bit of dried oregano and get to dipping. Kali Orexi!

More Bread Recipes:

Greek Buns Filled with Cheese

Yield: 12 buns

Ingredients

For the Starter:

2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Remaining Dough Ingredients:

4 cups (590g) all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil

For the Filling:

6 ounces (170g) feta cheese
4 ounces (113g) shredded Kefalograviera or Gouda cheese
1/4 finely chopped parsley

For the Topping:

2 ounces (57g) salted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Fine semolina for the pan (optional)

Instructions

Make the Dough:

In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook attachment add all of the Starter ingredients. Set aside for 8 minutes to make sure that the yeast is good. A puffy cloud will form at the top of the mixture. If that does not happen, discard the mixture and use a fresh container of yeast or the dough will not rise.

Combine the flour and salt together in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture along with the oil. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or with a kitchen towel. Set aside until doubled in volume.

Prepare the Cheese Filling:

Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and toss together.

Make the Buns:

Divide the dough into 12 balls.

Press each ball out into a flat circle. About 4-inches.

Place a tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center. Bring the edges together over the filling and pinch them together to seal. Roll gently into a ball and continue forming the buns.

Line 2 baking trays with parchment and sprinkle a thin layer of semolina over the paper.

Place 6 buns on each prepared pan. Loosely cover the buns with a towel and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. They will puff up but not double in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.

Combine the melted butter and cream together in a small bowl and brush the buns all around with the mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake each tray on the center rack for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.

Allow the buns to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes and then serve. Kali Orexi!

Notes

The buns can also be made without the cheese and stuffed with veggies, meat filling, or without any filling at all.

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Greek Buns Filled with Cheese

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Why these are so addictive