Peeta's Cheese Buns

Peeta is known as “the boy with the bread.” In case you've been living under a rock, Peeta is the super cute (although arguably not hott like Gale) main male figure in the Hunger Games series.

He's my favorite character, probably because he bakes a steady supply of bread—cheesy bread. So I modeled these buns after his, and I think they're spot on!

Gradon and I fell in love with these cheese-stuffed buns. I was initially struck by how cute and plump they were as dough balls, and to my surprise, they retained their perfectly smooth, spherical shape after being baked!

They won't brown much, so sprinkle them with a little cheese for a little snapshot of what's inside. Because what's inside is fabulous! These buns are soft, pillowy and a little dense with a burst of stringy cheese.

So by the looks of these, you're thinking this will take all day. Not so, my friend. These will only cost you about an hour and you'll be stuffing your face with cheesy bread!

Peeta's Cheese Buns

Adapted from Yammie's Noshery

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (hot from the tap but not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8 ounces of cheese (block of mozzarella cut into 8 cubes)

optional:

• fresh herbs (like parsley, for topping, if desired)
• 2-3 ounces yellow cheese (for topping, if desired)

 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes until it foams. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt.

Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a warm place within the bowl of your stand mixer, covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into 10-16 pieces (I did 10 because I wanted them big) Place a cube of cheese in each one and pinch all the edges back up tightly. Place the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and a pinch of garlic salt. Bake at 375ºF for about 10-15 minutes and serve warm!