| Portions |
|---|
| 10 - 12 buns |
Ingredients
Buns:
- Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
- 1 lb (450 g) store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup apricot or peach jam
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4 oz (115 g) smoked Gouda, cut into 10–12 cubes, chilled
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp black and white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp flaky salt
Glaze:
- ¼ cup apricot or peach jam
- 1 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Pinch of kosher salt
Whipped Feta & Lemon–Herb Dip:
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, chives, and parsley
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Hot Honey–Chilli Crisp Butter:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tbsp chilli crisp
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Lightly grease a 10-inch cast-iron pan with oil and set it aside.
- Portion the dough into 10–12 equal pieces. In a small bowl, stir together the jam, chilli flakes, Dijon, and salt and set aside.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten it into a 4-inch round piece. Place one cube of smoked Gouda in the centre, top with ½–1 tsp of the jam mixture, then pinch the dough up and around the filling to seal completely. Roll gently to make a smooth ball, keeping the seam tight, then place seam-side down in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, arranging the buns snugly. Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and let them proof for 25 minutes, until nice and puffed.
- While the buns are resting, heat the oven to 425°F and make the dips. For the whipped feta dip, place the feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor and blend until very smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the herbs and pulse just until flecked through (you want it herby, not green). Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- For the hot honey butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the honey, chilli crisp, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and warm for 1–2 minutes, just until glossy. Serve warm as a dunking sauce. If it thickens as it sits, rewarm over low heat (or in the microwave in short bursts), stirring until pourable.
- Once the buns have had their time to puff, uncover and brush the tops lightly with the melted butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt. Bake the buns until nicely golden brown, 18–22 minutes. While the buns bake, make the glaze by stirring together the jam, water, chilli flakes, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat just until smooth and loose, about 1–2 minutes.
- As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them lightly with some of the warm glaze, and serve warm for maximum cheese pull, with both dips on the side, of course. Enjoy!