A New Bread Experiment: Feta and Spinach Stuffed Buns

Ever since I first got brave enough to try making yeast bread, I’ve loved perusing the King Arthur Flour website and finding recipes I wanted to try. I won’t say too much in the intro, because the recipe is pretty long, but, mmmm, these are delicious! Go make some right now!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Buns
Adapted from a recipe by King Arthur Flour
3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup dried potato flakes
1/2 cup Rye Flour
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) water
1 large egg
2 Tbsp olive oil
10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) feta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped pitted black olives
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese

Start the bread: Whisk together, in a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer, all of the dry dough ingredients. It’s important to whisk the potato flour or flakes so they won’t clump when the liquid is added. Add the water, egg and olive oil, then mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, if you have the time; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes; it should feel firm and smooth.

Put it into a greased bowl, turning to coat, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it’s almost double in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (The amount of time this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.)

While the dough is rising, make the filling: Thaw and squeeze dry the frozen spinach. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the spinach and stir well.

Heat through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve the feta cheese and olives to layer onto the dough when filling, and the mozzarella to sprinkle atop the shaped rolls. I just realized I did this wrong — I added the mozzarella in with the feta and sprinkled about a tablespoon of Parmesan on top of the rolls.

To assemble: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Fold it over once or twice to gently deflate it. Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 16 x 18 inches. First sprinkle the dough with the cheese and olives, then top with the spinach.Starting with the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge and ends. Use a bench knife or serrated knife to cut the log into 1 to 1 1/4-inch slices.

Grease or line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay the buns on the pan, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Sprinkle them with a little Parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Cover them lightly with greased plastic wrap or a dough cover, and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they’re puffy.

Baking: Bake the buns in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until their tops and bottoms are lightly browned.

Check the buns after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if they’re browning too quickly on the edges. Yield: about 12-18 buns, depending on how thick you slice them.