These little buns are great for breakfast, with soups and salads, and as accompaniments to your dinner. The buns benefit from whole-wheat flour for flavor and fiber and are filled with sharp cheddar cheese. A little different than the usual rolls, the buns aren't especially fussy to make (or I wouldn't). The tang of the sourdough heightens the taste of the cheese and gives the buns a unique flavor that you won't find in grocery store rolls! The buns also are accommodating if you work from home. You can get the dough started in the morning, do a bit more at lunch time, and bake or air fry the buns later in the day in time for dinner. Enjoy!
Sourdough Whole Wheat Cheese Twist Buns -- Makes 10-12
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 cup of whole-wheat flour (or use white whole-wheat)
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients listed above well and let the mixture sit, loosely covered, for at least an hour (3-4 hours is fine, too). When you're ready, add:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
Mix, then knead the mixture into a soft dough, adding about 1/4 cup of additional flour as you knead. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until it's soft but not sticky. On a lightly floured surface, roll or press the dough into a rectangle about 12- X 14-inches. Spread 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese on one long side of the dough and fold the dough over to cover the cheese. Press down on the dough gently to secure the cheese in the middle of the dough. Cut the dough in half, horizontally. Then cut each half into 6 strips. Twist each strip from each end, twisting the cheese into the dough strips (some cheese will fall out, but you can push it back in). Roll each piece of dough into a round, pushing the cheese that falls out back into the roll and on top. If you want to bake the buns in the oven, place the buns an inch or two apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Alternatively, if you want to air fry the buns, cut small pieces of parchment to fit your air fryer basket and put 2-3 dough rounds onto each small parchment piece. Let the dough rounds rise until they increase in size by about a third. I have a cold kitchen (well, about 68 degrees), so the rise time is usually 3-4 hours. If you want to bake the buns in a regular oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the risen dough for 18-20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and just firm to the touch. If you want to air fry the buns, place a dough-topped piece of parchment in the air fryer basket, spritz the tops of the buns with a little non-stick cooking spray (to hold the cheese in place), and air fry the buns at 320 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Repeat the air frying process with the remainder of the dough.
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