French bakers proof this dough in warm milk, not water—the fat content creates a softer crumb than classic baguette recipes.
Homemade Buns
Get ready to indulge in the ultimate comfort food with these scrumptious homemade buns stuffed with gooey cheese and savory ham! With just a handful of ingredients and a simple kneading technique, you'll create soft, pillowy rolls that are perfect for any occasion. Bake up a batch and watch them disappear—these cheesy delights are sure to be a hit!
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This so-called French bun is actually a cheeky cousin of Germany's ham-and-cheese Berliner Ballen, smuggled across the Rhine in the 1980s when French boulangeries realized stuffing brioche dough with jambon and comté was cheaper than actual innovation—so really, you're eating Alsatian border politics disguised as a Parisian bakery snack, and nobody in Strasbourg is sorry about it.
Regional Twist
In Alsace's Colmar region, bakers swap the comté for Munster cheese and add caraway seeds to the dough, giving these buns a pungent, funky edge that pairs shockingly well with the jambon blanc already tucked inside.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Poivre
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 tranches de jambon blanc coupées en petits morceaux
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 2 cuillères à soupe de crème fraîche (30 ml)
- 1 œuf
- 200 g de fromage râpé (comté, emmental, cheddar…) (7.06 oz)
- 70 g de beurre mou (4.9 tbsp)
- 250 ml de lait tiède (8.45 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 8 g de levure boulangère sèche (0.28 oz)
- 500 g de farine T45 (4 cup)
- 20 g de sucre (0.1 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 10 g de sel (0.35 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cuillère à soupe de moutarde (15 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
911
Protein
35g
Carbs
103g
Fat
38g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough: Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add warm milk and the egg. Knead for 5 minutes, then gradually incorporate softened butter. Continue kneading for 10 minutes until you have a soft and elastic dough.
- 2
First rise: Cover and let rise for 1.5 hours, until the dough doubles in size.
- 3
Prepare the filling: Mix grated cheese, ham, crème fraîche, mustard, and a bit of pepper.
- 4
Shape the buns: Degas the dough, divide it into portions. Roll out each piece, place a spoonful of filling in the center, then carefully close it.
- 5
Second rise: Let rise again for 45 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 6
Baking: Brush with egg yolk, then bake at 180°C for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Warm your milk to 38-40°C (body temperature) before mixing because yeast activation peaks at 37-40°C; milk below 35°C slows fermentation by 30%, while above 43°C kills yeast cells and extends first rise beyond 1.5 hours.ingredient38-40°C optimal, <35°C = 30% slower, >43°C = yeast death
- ✓Incorporate softened butter (20-22°C) in 3-4 additions during the 10-minute knead rather than all at once, because fat coats gluten strands and prevents hydration; adding gradually allows proper emulsification and maintains dough elasticity.technique3-4 additions, butter at 20-22°C
- ✓During the first rise, fermentation is complete when the dough increases 2.5x volume (not just double) in 1.5 hours at 22-24°C room temperature; this ensures full gluten development and CO₂ gas production, preventing dense crumbs in the final bun.timing2.5x volume increase, 22-24°C ambient
- ✓Brush only the exterior with egg yolk (not the seams) before baking, because egg wash on sealed seams can prevent steam escape and cause the filling to rupture during oven spring; use a 1:1 ratio of egg yolk to water to prevent over-browning.technique1:1 egg yolk to water ratio
- ✓Bake at 190°C for 16-18 minutes instead of 180°C for 18-20 minutes because the higher temp (190°C) accelerates Maillard browning on the exterior while the interior reaches 92-94°C internal temp; this prevents pale, underbaked buns while keeping the filling at safe serving temperature (65°C+).timing190°C for 16-18 minutes, internal temp 92-94°C
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
French bakers proof this dough in warm milk, not water—the fat content creates a softer crumb than classic baguette recipes.
Homemade Buns
Get ready to indulge in the ultimate comfort food with these scrumptious homemade buns stuffed with gooey cheese and savory ham! With just a handful of ingredients and a simple kneading technique, you'll create soft, pillowy rolls that are perfect for any occasion. Bake up a batch and watch them disappear—these cheesy delights are sure to be a hit!
The Story
This so-called French bun is actually a cheeky cousin of Germany's ham-and-cheese Berliner Ballen, smuggled across the Rhine in the 1980s when French boulangeries realized stuffing brioche dough with jambon and comté was cheaper than actual innovation—so really, you're eating Alsatian border politics disguised as a Parisian bakery snack, and nobody in Strasbourg is sorry about it.
Regional Twist
In Alsace's Colmar region, bakers swap the comté for Munster cheese and add caraway seeds to the dough, giving these buns a pungent, funky edge that pairs shockingly well with the jambon blanc already tucked inside.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Poivre
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 tranches de jambon blanc coupées en petits morceaux
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 2 cuillères à soupe de crème fraîche (30 ml)
- 1 œuf
- 200 g de fromage râpé (comté, emmental, cheddar…) (7.06 oz)
- 70 g de beurre mou (4.9 tbsp)
- 250 ml de lait tiède (8.45 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 8 g de levure boulangère sèche (0.28 oz)
- 500 g de farine T45 (4 cup)
- 20 g de sucre (0.1 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 10 g de sel (0.35 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cuillère à soupe de moutarde (15 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
911
Protein
35g
Carbs
103g
Fat
38g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough: Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add warm milk and the egg. Knead for 5 minutes, then gradually incorporate softened butter. Continue kneading for 10 minutes until you have a soft and elastic dough.
- 2
First rise: Cover and let rise for 1.5 hours, until the dough doubles in size.
- 3
Prepare the filling: Mix grated cheese, ham, crème fraîche, mustard, and a bit of pepper.
- 4
Shape the buns: Degas the dough, divide it into portions. Roll out each piece, place a spoonful of filling in the center, then carefully close it.
- 5
Second rise: Let rise again for 45 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 6
Baking: Brush with egg yolk, then bake at 180°C for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Warm your milk to 38-40°C (body temperature) before mixing because yeast activation peaks at 37-40°C; milk below 35°C slows fermentation by 30%, while above 43°C kills yeast cells and extends first rise beyond 1.5 hours.ingredient38-40°C optimal, <35°C = 30% slower, >43°C = yeast death
- ✓Incorporate softened butter (20-22°C) in 3-4 additions during the 10-minute knead rather than all at once, because fat coats gluten strands and prevents hydration; adding gradually allows proper emulsification and maintains dough elasticity.technique3-4 additions, butter at 20-22°C
- ✓During the first rise, fermentation is complete when the dough increases 2.5x volume (not just double) in 1.5 hours at 22-24°C room temperature; this ensures full gluten development and CO₂ gas production, preventing dense crumbs in the final bun.timing2.5x volume increase, 22-24°C ambient
- ✓Brush only the exterior with egg yolk (not the seams) before baking, because egg wash on sealed seams can prevent steam escape and cause the filling to rupture during oven spring; use a 1:1 ratio of egg yolk to water to prevent over-browning.technique1:1 egg yolk to water ratio
- ✓Bake at 190°C for 16-18 minutes instead of 180°C for 18-20 minutes because the higher temp (190°C) accelerates Maillard browning on the exterior while the interior reaches 92-94°C internal temp; this prevents pale, underbaked buns while keeping the filling at safe serving temperature (65°C+).timing190°C for 16-18 minutes, internal temp 92-94°C