Savory Pesto + Roasted Red Pepper Beer Buns
These Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Beer buns are a mixture of bright pesto, hard Italian cheeses (including Parmesan, Asiago and Pecorino) and roasted red peppers. The buns are finished with a cream wash pre-bake to make them nice, bronzed and shiny. These is a super breezy, make-ahead dough that can be made several days in advance of baking -- delicious!
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Servings: 14 Buns
Ingredients
For the Pesto
- 2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, (packed)
- 1/3 cup olive oil, (plus more to drizzle over the top)
- 1/4 cup Diamond of California Walnuts
- 1/2 small garlic clove, (smashed)
- 1/2 lemon, (juiced and zested)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
For the Buns
- 12 ounces light-flavored beer or water, ( room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (plus extra for dusting your hands and the dough)
- 1/3 cup powdered dry milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, (melted and cooled)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2/3 cup pesto ((recipe above))
- 2/3 cup hard cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago and/or Pecorino, (finely shredded)
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, (chopped)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk
Instructions
For the Pesto
- Add the basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice + zest, sea salt and pepper to a food processor fitted with the blade and pulse until everything is chopped and combined, but there’s till some texture. I don’t like my pesto to be completely smooth. Add in the Parmesan and pulse a few times more. Pour into a lidded container, cover with a layer of olive oil (this helps keep the color bright and fresh) and stash in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Buns
- In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment add the beer and yeast and let sit for 15 minutes until it’s foamy and frothy. Add in your flour, dry milk, butter, honey and salt and knead on medium-high for about 15 minutes. In the beginning the dough will stick to the bottom of the mixer…as it continues to knead it will start to form a smooth and elastic dough ball. When you’re ready to get it out of the bowl, lightly flour your hands and sprinkle the dough with flour to help get it out. It will be a bit oozy. That’s ok. Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil, set the dough inside, turning to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.
- Grease your baking dishes (see note above) and set aside.
- When ready to use, grab the dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a rectangle, keeping the dough about ¼ inch thick…don’t go too thin. With the longest side closest to you, spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch gutter clean of pesto at the top and the bottom of the dough. Sprinkle the cheese and the roasted red peppers evenly over the top. Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough up towards the top, tightening as you go making sure it’s as snug and even as possible. Pinch the top edge of the dough against the rolled dough to seal the buns. Grab a super sharp knife and cut into 1 ½-inch buns. Place the buns in the prepared baking dishes. Cover with a damp towel and let rest until the dough is no longer cool to the touch and has not quite (but almost) doubled in size. This should take about 1-2 hours depending on ambient temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolk and cream. Lightly brush over the top of the buns, taking care not to let the wash pool.
- Bake for 35ish minutes in the center of the oven until golden and baked through. If your buns are thinner or thicker than mine, you’ll need to adjust your bake time accordingly. Let cool ever so slightly, and then dig in.
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo