Pepperoni and Cheese Buns
Another crazy food idea from my husband turned out pretty awesome. We used these buns for ground pork smash burgers with garlic basil aioli (which were delicious), but these can be used for anything, including just eating them plain. I’m thinking of making these next time I make the Cornflake “Fried” Chicken for sandwiches.
Feel free to use other cheeses to your liking. I’m sure Asiago or Cheddar would taste great in these. I also topped a few with a sprinkling of Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese- so good…
Each bun is 11 WW Points
Pepperoni and Cheese Buns
Soft and delicious buns full of pepperoni and cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 packet
- 2 Tb granulated sugar divided
- 517 grams all-purpose flour about 4 cups
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tb butter salted, softened
- 3 Tb plain greek yogurt non-fat or with fat
- 2 large eggs divided
- 5 ounces pepperoni diced
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together water, 1/2teaspoon sugar, and yeast. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl with the hook attachment, quickly mix together flour, salt, and remaining sugar.
- Lightly beat 1 egg with the yogurt. Add the egg mixture, yeast mixture, and butter to the flour mixture and mix slowly for a couple minutes until the dough starts to come together. Add the diced pepperoni and mix on speed 2-3 until dough no longer sticks to the sides and it forms a ball, about 3-4 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise until double in size, about an hour or 2 depending on temperature of the room.
- Cover two 9 by 13 inch baking pans with parchment paper. On a clean surface, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese and turn dough out onto it. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup cheese on top and lightly knead dough, while sprinkling remaining 1/2 cup cheese into the dough. Continue to knead until cheese is dispersed throughout dough.
- Divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle and gather the edges into the middle and flip over to form a ball. Place 5 on each pan, spacing evenly.
- Spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover the buns. Allow to rise another 30 minutes.
- Fill a deep pan halfway with water and place on the bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat 1 egg with a splash of water. Brush each bun with egg wash. (Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired)
- Bake one pan at time at 400 degrees until buns are lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes.*
- Let cool for about 5 minutes, then place buns on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Keep buns in an air-tight container.
Notes
Each bun is 11 WW Points