Cheesy Beehive Buns

Cheesy Beehive Buns

Ingredients for Buns:

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. wildflower honey
• 2 tsp. instant yeast
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, finely grated
• 1 whole egg
• 1 Tbsp. water, whisk with whole egg for egg wash
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 each mashed roasted garlic clove
• l ½ Tbsp. wildflower honey
• 1/2 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. Everything bagel spice, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. Everything bagel spice
• 1 tsp. chopped chives
• 1 cup honey cheese butter, recipe follows

Ingredients for Honey Cheese Butter:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. wildflower honey
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• to taste salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. chopped chives

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine milk, honey, yeast and oil. Whisk together and set aside to allow yeast to work.
2. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with hook attachment, along with baking powder and salt.
3. Slowly add in yeast mixture, mixing slowly until incorporated fully, and then knead with dough hook for 5-8 minutes, until dough becomes elastic. Adjust if dough becomes too sticky by adding more flour or adding a bit more milk if it becomes too dry.
4. Tightly cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
5. Meanwhile, mix together cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella until incorporated. Set aside.
6. Dust a cutting board or clean workspace with flour and turn dough out onto prepared surface. Portion dough into small balls.
7. Roll each portion of dough to 1/4-inch thick and fill with a 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Stretch the sides of the dough up around the cheese mixture and seal, pinching to close at the top. Repeat with remaining dough, holding under a damp towel so the dough doesn’t dry out.
8. Generously grease a baking dish (or cast-iron). Tightly roll each dough piece to completely seal in filling.
9. Place seam side down in prepared dish, arranging snugly into a “honeycomb” pattern so each dough ball forms a hexagonal shape. Cover and let rise for another 30-40 minutes until dough has risen.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
11. Remove the towel and gently press down dough with a spoon or clean index finger to further create a hexagon/honeycomb shape.
12. Liberally brush buns with egg wash, making sure to get into each crevice.
13. Bake buns for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, 190 F with thermometer.
14. While the buns are baking, make the garlic honey glaze by combining the butter and roasted garlic paste into a pot and bringing to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until golden, stir frequently so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
15. Drizzle honey, water and everything bagel spice. Reduce heat to low and stir to incorporate, cooking for another minute or two.
16. Remove the buns from the oven and immediately brush with garlic honey glaze and sprinkle generously with everything bagel spice mixture.
17. Unmold the cheesy beehive buns onto desired serving dish and sprinkle with chives. Place ramekin of honey cheese butter next to buns. Serve immediately.
18. For Honey Cheese Butter: Melt butter in a small pot or saucepan over medium-low heat until golden brown. Stir in honey and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, mix together remaining ingredients until smooth. Stir in cooled honey brown butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion into a ramekin and garnish with chopped chives.