Ham and Cheese Buns

The bread is a version of sweet dough filled with a slice of ham and cheese. They are soft and sweet.I like to make them small so they are just bite sized and fun to eat. I made a batch over a week ago for some guests of my mother who were coming over to our house. This weekend I'm making 500 of them for a special occasion. Whew!

Ham and Cheese Buns (makes 24 buns)

For the rolls:

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus additional for dusting.
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup lukewarm milk

For the filling:

1 pack 500 grams of sweet ham
1 box cheese

Make the buns:
1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, sprinkle yeast in lukewarm water and allow to dissolve. Pour into the flour mixture.
3. Add butter, eggs, milk and remaining flour and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn into a floured surface and knead. Form into a ball.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until double (50-60 minutes).
5. hen the dough has doubled in size, punch down to release the bubbles. Dust and smooth work surface lightly with additional flour. Turn dough out on floured surface and roll out into a long log.
Cut the log into 24 pieces.
6. Fill each piece with a slice of ham and cheese.
7. Allow the buns to rise for an additional 50 to 60 minutes. This is called second rising.

Bake the buns:
Preheat oven to 375F. Bake buns for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Brush tops with butter when done.

Note: Make sure the yeast is still active or the dough will not rise. When it is sprinkled on the lukewarm water, the yeast should fizzle lightly and form bubbles on the sides. Do not use water that is too hot because this will kill the yeast.