Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Buns
Literal pillows of goodness, this cheddar chive buttermilk buns recipe are packed with all the cheesy chivy goodness! Whether you make them individually or pull apart style, these are ready to be a staple at your dinner table, especially at Thanksgiving. Don’t forget the butter!
What Can You Make to Use Up Buttermilk?
If you’re a fan of buttermilk chicken, then you may have some leftover buttermilk! One way to use up extra buttermilk is making my cheesy, chivey, easy buttermilk buns! Whether baked separately or together in a pull apart style, you can use these soft buttermilk dinner rolls to accompany your table at any Thanksgiving, Easter, or regular, everyday dinner. Personally, I like making a mini breakfast sandwich with these easy buttermilk buns!
The Origin of Milk Bread
Milk bread is a very springy bread that is light and airy due to many tiny air pockets. Rumors have it that English pastry chef Robert Clarke, who opened a bakery in Japan in the 1860’s, created the milk bread. The Japanese named it “Shokupan” which is a Japanese term for a regular old loaf of bread. Read more about the brief history of milk bread here!
Buttermilk Buns Ingredients
- Chives: fresh chives over dried is best for this herby bake! Dried herbs tend to leave a bitter aftertaste that fresh herbs do not.
- Cheddar cheese: You want regular, yellow, sharp, cheddar cheese and not reduced fat because it doesn’t melt as well. You can use either shredded or a block if you shred it yourself. I have even used cheese slices when I had an abundance and chopped it into thin shredded like pieces (I wouldn’t recommend).
- Buttermilk: Full fat buttermilk as opposed to reduced fat. In a pinch you can use whole milk with a few drops of lemon juice in it.
- Sea salt: I always sprinkle some flaked sea salt such as Maldon Salt on top. It adds a little crunch and a little salt factor. Not necessary, but highly encouraged.
Major Allergens Present: Gluten, dairy, egg
Equipment Needed
- Hand or stand mixer: Used to make the bread dough. However, it’s not 100% necessary if you don’t mind making things and kneading by hand. For this you will use the dough hook for both a hand and stand mixer.
- 9×13″ pan: If you like the idea of pulling apart rolls in a pan then make sure you have a rectangle pan. However, if you’d rather have them not touch, a regular sheet pan is just fine.
- Pastry brush: used to brush the egg wash on top. Can be silicon or bristles.
How to Make Buttermilk Buns with Cheddar and Chives:
What are buttermilk buns made of?
This buttermilk buns recipe has few ingredients and uses a classic milk bread method which is both sweetened and enriched. A sweetened dough has sugar or sweetener added, and an enriched dough has fat added such as milk, eggs, or butter. I further enhance these soft buttermilk dinner rolls with sharp cheddar and chive to make it extra special. Originally, when I set out to make these easy buttermilk buns I had forgotten to get milk but I had plenty of buttermilk so I said why not!?
Mix the Dough:
This dough is a sweetened and enriched dough which means it contains both fat (milk, eggs, & butter) and sweetener (granulated sugar). However, what’s really important here is mixing the yeast with warm water. Since active dry yeast needs to be activated with warmth to work, and the buttermilk is cold, it needs to mix first with warm water to allow for proofing. It also can’t be too hot or else you will kill the yeast which occurs at 120*F. Use a mixer to make kneading the dough much easier than hand kneading, and mix until it passes the windowpane test. The windowpane test demonstrates the gluten development in dough (explained more below).
When your dough is done kneading, gently create a well in the center of the dough, and add in the cheddar and chives. Mix until combined. If you do not create the well, the cheddar has a tendency to just rotate around the bowl’s sides instead of incorporating.
Why we need to knead bread:
Flour is composed of starch and protein and the proteins are called glutenin and gliadin which are long and tangled. Together, glutenin and gliadin form gluten. Kneading rubs these “subproteins” together to stretch them out, line them up, and cross-link themselves to create a net that helps retain gasses during the proofing stage. Kneading also incorporates oxygen in the dough which helps yeast breath and produce carbon dioxide. The windowpane test proves if you have developed enough gluten strands for proper structure to help retain those gasses for the final rise.
Test for the windowpane by taking a small portion of dough and roll into a ball. Stretch it out gently starting in the middle. Stretch it into a square and until the center is a thin film. If your dough easily stretches thinly without tearing, then the dough is strong enough and enough gas can be retained in the network of gluten strands. If it rips easily, then you need to develop more gluten strands by more kneading/mixing. You should also see the network of gluten strands. It’s called the windowpane test because light should be able to pass through like through a window.
Proof the Dough and Portion:
After all that work of mixing and providing a GREAT net of gluten strands, the dough needs a break. During that break the yeast activates, eats the carbohydrates, and releases carbon dioxide which leads to rising. That net you just weaved kneading is now doing its job. The amount of time it takes to proof will depend on your environment. The warmer it is, the faster it will proof; the colder, the longer. See my tips for speeding up proofing times if your environment is not ideal. Also, the dough will be colder than most doughs due to the cold buttermilk, so be patient! After your dough has proofed, you can easily portion out into 55g balls.
Roll into Balls and Final Proof:
Definitely see my tips below for rolling dough into balls as it can be tricky for first timers! Always make sure to have a flour-less surface to work on because you don’t want to slip and slide. You need a barely tacky surface so I will usually keep a spray bottle or wet towel nearby to make a tackier surface. Once they’re all rolled out, it’s time for a final proof before baking! So lay a towel or plastic on top and wait a bit more.
Egg Wash and Bake The cheddar chive buttermilk buns:
The egg wash is small but mighty. It aids in nice, even browning on top and also gives it that shine. Make sure to get in all the crevices too for when the dough rises in the oven. The cheddar chive buttermilk buns are done when they turns golden brown, but if you’re nervous, you can check with a thermometer; it should be 190*F. You can also opt to brush these soft buttermilk dinner rolls with melted butter right after coming out of the oven.
Help Making Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Buns
How to Roll Buns:
- Rolling the dough can be tricky if you’re a first timer. You will want an unfloured surface because flour will cause your ball of dough to slip and slide around. You do want a tackier surface to create friction to allow the ball of dough to form on the table. Have some water nearby to sprinkle or spray onto the surface to create that tackier workspace.
- Cup your hand over the ball of dough angled to the pinky edge side, press the meat of your hand into the surface, and move into a circular motion. Use a light pulse action of your fingers while moving. You are essentially using a dragging and pushing in a circle technique within your hand to form a taut ball which is why we want a tackier surface. There should be a small seam or belly button on the bottom.
- If it’s not rolling into a nice ball the first time around, let it rest, then come back to it.
How to Speed Up Bread Proofing Time:
- Turn your oven on. When it reaches 110-120*F turn off your oven and place your dough (covered) inside. Shut the door. Do not allow the temperature to exceed 120*F as that is when yeast starts to die.
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Place inside your oven (while it’s off) with your dough, covered, inside with the door shut. Do not place the dough directly above the water.
- Place next to or in front of a heating vent or in direct sunlight.
Enhancing These Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Buns:
- Use chopped herbs instead of chives for a more earthy bread.
- Use gruyere or parmesan cheese or even manchego! And add in some red pepper flakes to literally spice it up.
- You can finish these with a brush of honey for sweeter, honey buttermilk dinner rolls.
How to Store and Freeze Buttermilk Buns:
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- You can freeze buttermilk buns, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months.
Troubleshooting Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Buns:
- My dough isn’t rising! You either have a yeast problem, it’s too cold, or you did not knead enough. For now, trying creating a makeshift proofbox in your oven by filling a pan with boiling water and placing in the oven with your dough. If that isn’t working then it has something to do with either the kneading or the yeast. If you passed the windowpane test then your yeast is dead and you need to start over with new yeast or start over making sure you activate the yeast in lukewarm water. However, if you did not pass the window pain test then try to knead some more until you do.
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Buns
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Pastry brush
- 9"x13" Baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs Water Lukewarm
- 1 ½ Tbs Active dry yeast
- 500 g Bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 85 g Butter, unsalted softened
- 60 g Granulated sugar
- 160 g Buttermilk
- 2 ea Whole eggs
- 200 g Cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 Tbs Fresh chives chopped
- An egg for an egg wash beaten with a fork
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Mix together the warm water and yeast to activate the yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Then add in the rest of ingredients except for the chives, cheddar, egg wash, and flaked sea salt.
- Mix on low with a dough hook until the ingredients are incorporated. Increase speed to medium until the windowpane test is achieved.
- Once you've achieved the windowpane test, make a pocket in the dough and add the cheese and chives. Mix on low until incorporated; about 1-2 minutes.
- Cover, and allow to proof until doubled in size. The amount of time it takes depends on how warm or cold your environment is. The warmer, the shorter, the colder, the longer. In the meantime spray a 9×13" pan with pan spray for pull apart buns or line a sheet pan with parchment paper for individual buns.
- Portion the dough into 55g portions to get a total of 20 portions. Roll into balls and place in your baking dish for pull apart rolls or on your sheet pan separated for individual buns. Cover and allow to proof until 1.5 bigger in size. Preheat the oven to 350*F.
- Beat the egg with a fork and brush over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 20-25 minutes rotating halfway through. Buns should be golden brown with an internal temperature of 190℉
Nutrition
I had a dinner party and made these and they were a HIT! Love the cheddar and chive flavors 🙂
These were great! So fluffy and easy to make.
I tried these out because I figured they would be great for Thanksgiving this year! After my test batch I KNOW they will be great, the will compliment my stuffing and gravy perfectly! Great recipe!
These buns are so tasty and easy to make! Lightly toast them and slather some butter and salt on too and they make the best addition to your dinner!