Cheese, Spring Onion, and Chive Brioche Buns

Fluffy brioche is rolled out thin, then spread with a cheese sauce filling, sprinkled with spring onion and chives, and rolled up into a tight spiral. It is then cut up into buns, snuggled into a skillet, and baked to golden perfection. The perfect savoury bun!

Cheese Brioche Buns with Chive and Spring Onion

I think we all know by now my intense love for swirly bread. I developed a killer brioche recipe a few years back, and it sneaks its way onto here at least once a month - in doughnuts, babka, fancy knots, buns, rolls, pull-apart bread, you name it, it’s probably lurking around here somewhere. The thing I love the most about brioche is how versatile it is. You can switch up the filling or ingredients slightly, change up the baking or frying method, and you have a whole new recipe.

Today I am sharing the recipe for these Cheese, Spring Onion, and Chive Brioche Buns. These first came about when I was testing for another recipe and was left with a batch of brioche dough in the fridge. I also happened to have a batch of cheese sauce from another recipe test, so I combined them, and the result was magical. These are just essentially a savoury version of the cinnamon roll - enriched dough is spread with a chilled cheese sauce filling, sprinkled with spring onions (scallions for those in the US) and chives, and then rolled into a tight spiral and snuggled up in a skillet. They kind of taste like the pizza rolls that we grew up on as kids that we used to get from the supermarket. They are great on their own, or amazing served alongside a soup for an easy meal. The cheese sauce filling is also perfect for using up the weird odds and ends of cheese you have in your fridge (or is that just me). Either way, swirly bread is the best, and I think this is a recipe you are going to love. Enjoy! x

If you wanted a smaller batch version of these rolls, you could use my small batch cheese buns recipe!

A few wee tips for making Cheese Brioche Buns

• The great thing about the cheese sauce in this recipe is that you can use whatever you like in it - I usually have a whole range of cheese in my fridge, so use whatever you have! Just make sure that the total amount of cheese is the same as the weight in the recipe (250g).
• The cream cheese in the recipe really helps to smooth out the filling.
• Ideally the cheese sauce needs to be chilled overnight, but no worries at all if you don’t have time for that- just place it into a shallow container or bowl, chill for 20 min in the freezer, give it a good stir, then place in the fridge to continue chilling. Ideally make it before you get started on the bread dough so that it has as much time to chill as possible.
• I like making my brioche dough the night before sometimes - it means that it’s super easy to roll out if it’s a little cooler, and it breaks up the tasks, making it a little more manageable.

Tips for making these buns ahead of time

If you want to do some of the work ahead of time for these buns that is totally fine! I like to prepare the cheese sauce filling the day before so that it has some time to chill down. You can also do the first rise for the brioche overnight in the fridge, or alternatively on the same day in the fridge - it will need a minimum of 3 hours. You can make these work to your schedule!

More Cheese Bun Recipes:

• Caramelised Onion and Sharp Cheddar Brioche Buns
• Pretzels with Cheese Sauce Dip
• Tomato and Ricotta Pesto Pull-apart Buns
• Spicy Tomato Pesto Star Bread

Cheese, Spring Onion, and Chive Brioche Buns

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• Author: Erin Clarkson
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes plus chilling and rising time
• Yield: 9 buns 1x

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Description

Fluffy Brioche is rolled out thin, then spread with a cheese sauce filling, sprinkled with spring onion and chives, and rolled up into a tight spiral. It is then cut up into buns, snuggled into a skillet, and baked to golden perfection. The perfect savoury bun!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Brioche Dough 

• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 250g whole milk, lukewarm
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 565g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Cheese Sauce Filling

• 30g unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 300g whole milk
• Salt and Pepper to Season
• 100g sharp cheddar, grated
• 75g gouda, grated
• 75g parmesan cheese, grated
• 70g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Filling

• 2 Spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, plus a little more for garnish
• Egg wash - 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt for finishing (optional)

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Instructions

BRIOCHE DOUGH

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps.
3. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
5. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours. Alternatively the first rise can be done overnight in the fridge.

CHEESE SAUCE FILLING

1. In a medium pot, melt the butter, and then add the flour, whisking well to combine. Cook, for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, or until the mixture is bubbly and foaming slightly. Remove from the heat, and, whisking constantly, add the milk. Whisk well to combine, then return to the heat and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture has thickened.
2. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add the sharp cheddar, gouda, parmesan, and the cream cheese, and mix well to incorporate, continuing to stir until the cheese is melted. Add the wholegrain mustard and stir well.
3. Transfer to an airtight container, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cheese sauce. Place in the refrigerator until completely cool, 3-4 hours or ideally overnight.

ASSEMBLY

1. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll to a 18”x20” (45cmx50cm) rectangle. Spread with the cheese sauce filling, and sprinkle with the spring onions and chives. Starting with the short edge, roll up the dough into a tight spiral. Press lightly on the seam to seal.
2. Lightly grease a 10” cast iron skillet or springform pan. Using a sharp bread knife and a ruler, cut the log of dough into 9 2” pieces. Arrange in the skillet, leaving room between for rising.
3. Lightly cover the skillet with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour, until puffy. About 20 minutes before the buns are finished rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash, and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
4. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are golden brown on top and register 200°f / 95°c internal temperature.
5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional chives. Serve warm or at room temperature - reheat briefly in the microwave before eating to help freshen up.

 

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Notes

If you would like to make these into 12 buns, roll the rectangle of dough to 16"x24" and arrange the 12 buns in a 9"x13" pan or quarter sheet pan.