Triple Onion Cheese Buns

I like homemade breads and this is one of my favorites. I came across this recipe a while back and have made it few times. I replaced shallots and chives with red onion and green onions, mainly because I don't have it handy. Since I don't eat bacon, I've made without it and it still taste pretty good. For this batch, I've used Turkey Bacon.

For cheese, I like to use Habanero Cheddar. I came across this cheese in Costco while they were selling special flavor cheeses. They don't carry it all the time but I was lucky to have found it twice. I love cheddar cheese and I love spicy food. This cheese was a perfect combination. It was not too spicy but has a good kick. The last time I bought, I freeze it and I'm using it for this batch of bread. You can still make it with Gruyere Swiss Cheese as mentioned in original recipe or any of your favorite cheese.

If you're new to making breads at home as I am, make dough as per recipe and be creative with filling and topping.

Triple Onion Cheese Buns

Makes: 16 to 18 buns
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Dough Resting Time: 2 hours
Cooking and Baking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough	For Filling
3/4 cup Water 1/2 cup Milk 1/4 cup Butter 1/4 cup Honey 3 1/2 to 4 cups Bread Flour 1 Large Egg - lightly beaten 4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 1 1/4 teaspoons Salt	3 tablespoons Butter 1 tablespoon Garlic - crushed or finely chopped 1/2 cup Chives or Green Onions - thinly sliced 1/2 cup Shallots or Red Onion - finely chopped 1/2 cup Onions - finely chopped 4 slices Turkey Bacon - cooked and crumbled 2 to 2 1/2 cups Habanero Cheddar Cheese or Gruyere Swiss Cheese

Directions:
For Dough

1. In a small saucepan, combine water, milk, butter and heat until butter is melted without bringing it to a boil. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until lukewarm or 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add honey, 1 1/2 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth.
3. Add egg, yeast and mix well till smooth. Keep this aside for 15 minutes.
4. Add salt along with 1 cup of flour and mix again.
5. Pour out to a clean surface and knead dough by adding remaining flour until it no longer sticks to the counter. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand. (If using stand mixer, knead for 5 to 6 minutes by adding flour just until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl)
6. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

For Filling

1. While dough is resting, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for few seconds till fragrant.
2. Add all three types of onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Turn off the heat, add bacon, mix well and keep aside to cool.

Making Buns

1. Punch dough down and on lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll into approximately 12 x 24 rectangle shape.
2. Evenly spread onion bacon mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Staring from the long end, roll dough tightly and pinch to seal seam and turn under.
3. Cut the dough log into 16 to 18 equal pieces and place each in a lightly greased muffin tin. Cover loosely with plastic and let it rise in warm draft free place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Top the buns with remaining cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned.
6. Allow to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and let cool on wire rack.

Note: Since I only have one muffin tin that fits 12 pieces, I kept the remaining pieces on a lightly greased tray.

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