A fluffy, enriched dough filled with homemade spiced tomato jam, creamy goat cheese, and fresh herbs, perfect for breakfast or as an extra-special side dish.
I have been wanting to make some sort of savoury version of a cinnamon roll for a long time now. I probably have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know, but for some reason I almost always want savoury breakfasts. This recipe is the best of both worlds, hitting all the flavour notes without being overpowering in the morning. They go especially well with a side of soft-scrambled eggs and a couple slices of crispy bacon, or just warmed up and eaten on the run to the bus stop. Filling inspired by a beautiful jar of homemade tomato jam from my dear friend Alia <3
If you don't want to spend the time waiting for dough to rise so you can eat breakfast, prepare them at night and then stick them in the fridge until morning. Take them out and let them come to room temperature for about half an hour, and then you're ready to bake.
Recipe
Dough
1 cup/250 ml milk
1 3/4 tsp instant yeast OR 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp + 2 tbsp sugar
4 cups/515 g all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup/57 g butter, softened and cubed
2 eggs, room temperature
Cherry Tomato Jam
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup/65 g red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups/400 g cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Assembly
175 g goat cheese (I used the kind with herbs, but any kind works)
5-6 scallions, finely minced
3-4 sprigs of dill, minced (plus more for garnish)
2 tbsp honey mixed with 1/2 tsp chili flakes and 1/4 tsp salt (for drizzling at the end)
Instructions
Start by making the dough. Heat the milk until lukewarm, then add the yeast and 2 tsp of the sugar, whisking well. Set aside.
After 5-10 minutes, whisk the eggs into the milk mixture.
In a separate bowl/the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
If using a stand mixer: Attach the dough hook and turn it on the lowest speed, then slowly drizzle in the milk mixture until shaggy. Once the milk is mostly incorporated, add in the cubes of butter and keep mixing on low for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If kneading by hand: Slowly drizzle the milk mixture into the flour, mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula as you go. Once the milk is incorporated, slowly add in the butter, kneading each cube into the dough before adding the next one. Knead by hand for about 5-7 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball in the bowl and cover with a damp towel/plastic wrap. Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. Rise time will vary depending on the temperature of your house and whether you used instant or active dry yeast. I used instant yeast, but my house was very cold and dry, so it took almost the full 2 hours for the dough to double.
While your dough is rising, make the cherry tomato jam. In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat, then add the red onion, garlic, chili flakes, paprika, and cumin. Cook this, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and darkened.
Add in the red wine vinegar and simmer for 3-5 minutes until it has mostly evaporated.
Add in the cherry tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water, then simmer for 15 minutes, covered.
After 15 minutes, uncover, add the brown sugar, salt, and black pepper, and simmer on low for an additional 30-40 minutes (until you have reached a jammy consistency).
Take off the heat and let cool.
After your jam is done, assemble the herbs and crumble the goat cheese into very small pieces.
Once the dough has doubled, roll it out into a roughly 12 inch by 15 inch rectangle.
Spread the cherry tomato jam evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch barrier around the edges.
Dot the goat cheese evenly over the jam, then sprinkle on the scallions and dill.
Roll the dough (on the longest/15-inch side) as tightly as possible. Some of the filling will undoubtedly squeeze out – scoop it into a bowl and save it for assembly.
Using unflavoured dental floss or a VERY sharp knife, cut the dough into 10-12 rolls (depending on how large you want them to be – I made 10 very large rolls).
Place the rolls into a greased baking dish, dotting any filling that fell out in Step 15 over the top.
Cover with a damp towel/plastic wrap and let rise for another 30 minutes to 1 hour (again, my house was very cold, so it took the full hour). By the end of the rise time, the rolls will have risen and will be extra soft – when you poke them with a finger, it should leave a distinct indent. If you want to bake them the next morning, cover them and put them in the fridge immediately, then let them come to room temperature the next day (around 30 minutes) before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the buns for 30-40 minutes. If you want them to be extra shiny, you can brush them with a little cream halfway through baking, but this is not necessary.
Once they're out of the oven, heat up the honey and mix in the chili flakes and salt, then drizzle over the hot buns.
CLAIRE, this recipe is so good and I get so many compliments every time I make it. Commenting because I'm about to make them for brunch tomorrow, looking forward to eating them:)