Jalapeño Cheese Buns

These soft and buttery jalapeño cheese buns are filled with pickled jalapeños and gooey cheddar cheese, ideal for a game day treat, afternoon snack, or potluck dish.

I'm always up for a spicy cheesy combo, especially in carb form. One of my most popular recipes are these Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls; hot out of the oven, they're incredibly soft and fluffy.

So, I decided to combine the best parts of those rolls with the shape of a cinnamon roll to nestle in cheese and pickled jalapenos. As the rolls bake, the cheese melts into a gooey, creamy texture.

Ingredient Notes

These rolls use the Japanese technique of Tangzhong, which yields a thickened mixture of cooked flour and water popularized by Yvonne Chen. When you add this mixture into the dough, it helps yield soft, moist rolls with a longer shelf-life.

I made these jalapeno cheese buns in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill (using their Artisan Bread Flour, which helps create a flaky crust), and I’m really excited to share the recipe with you.

• Bread Flour: Here, I'm using Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour. The high gluten content of bread flour creates a tender, and slightly chewy texture for the buns.
• Butter: Butter is a typical ingredient in an enriched dough, like this one, which helps provide a soft, moist roll.
• Active Dry Yeast: Yeast is essential here to provide the rise needed for these rolls. If needed, you can substitute instant yeast (1 teaspoon instant yeast = 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast).
• Cheddar Cheese: Use your favorite cheddar cheese; you can even swap out for monterey jack or pepper jack.
• Pickled Jalapenos: I love the slight tartness and acidity of pickled jalapenos (it also helps cut the spiciness). The jalapenos deliver a mild heat, but if you want something even subtler, you can halve the amount.

How to Make This Recipe

1. Make the Tangzhong (Steps 1 and 2): Stir together milk and flour in a small saucepan, then place on medium heat. Whisk constantly, until the mixture thickens into a "mashed potato"-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool.
2. Active the Yeast (Step 3): Mix together yeast with slightly warmed milk (you're aiming for lukewarm; if it's too warm it'll kill the yeast)
3. Knead the Dough (Step 4): In a stand mixer, mix together the cooled tangzhong, yeast, and the rest of the dough ingredients until you get a soft, smooth dough.
4. Let the Dough Rise (Step 5): Let the dough rise for about 1 ½ hours until doubled.
5. Shape the Rolls: Pat down the risen dough, then roll out into a 10-inch by 14-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the cheese and pickled jalapenos all over the top, leaving a small ½-inch rim around the edges. Carefully and tightly roll up the rectangle into a log, then cut into 9 equal portions. When cutting the log into rolls, I recommend using a "sawing" motion, and slowly moving your knife back and forth as you cut through the dough. If you try to cut normally (i.e. pressing down your knife through the dough), you'll end up squeezing out a lot of the filling.
6. Let the Rolls Rise (Step 6): Place the rolls in an 8-inch by 8-inch parchment-lined baking pan and let rise for another 45 minutes to an hour until proofed.
7. Bake! Place the rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned and the inside is cooked through. Brush with butter, then let cool for at least 10 minutes before digging in.

Tips

For the softest, fluffiest rolls, follow the instructions below!

• Don't skip the Tangzhong: The tangzhong method of cooking flour and water (in this case, milk) into a paste really helps bring a moist, fluffy roll.
• Try to roll up the log as tightly as possible: A more tightly rolled log will have better structure (and won't fall apart).
• Omit the pickled jalapenos if you don't like spice: These buns can easily omit the pickled jalapenos if you just want the cheesy flavor. I do love the combo of spicy, tart jalapenos with cheddar cheese, though!
• For best results, use a scale. A scale ensures the most accurate results!

Storage

After baking, I like to let the buns cool completely before storing in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. A lot of cheese baked goods can fresh at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, but to be safe, you can keep them in the refrigerator. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

These cheese buns have so many different uses! You can absolutely just eat them on their own, hot from the oven. Or, you can slice them in half and make egg sandwiches, sliders, or sloppy joes. I personally like to serve these buns with my breakfast beans and eggs or San Marzano pizza sauce as a dipping sauce!

This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill. I received compensation in exchange for this collaboration. All opinions are my own. Thank you.