This is not a healthy recipe by any means. Rather, it is the comfort food we all need from time to time. Cheese bread was served at my school for lunch and if you got really lucky, they also put a slab of fish inside during Lent. While we simply called them cheese bread, they are called zombies elsewhere.
This is a very quick recipe and with speed comes the downside of fast staling bread. Be sure to eat them the day they are made or wrap tightly and refrigerate.
90’s Style School Lunch Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Cheese Filling
- 16 oz Velveeta
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno pickling brine, optional
Dough
- ½ cup (113g) lukewarm water
- 2 cups (454g) warm whole milk , 100°F to 110°F
- 3 tablespoons (43g) butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (21g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons (28g) yeast, instant yeast preferred
- 6 to 7 cups (723g to 843g) unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
Cheese Filling
- In a double boiler, melt Velveeta, sour cream, & jalapeno brine together until smooth. Can also melt using microwave at 15 second intervals.
- Press plastic wrap onto the warm cheese to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the refrigerator.
Dough
- Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and yeast in bowl of your stand mixer. Stir well and let sit for 6 to 8 minutes, or until you see the yeast begin to foam. Stir in salt.
- Add 5 cups (600g) of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is uniformly moist. Switch to dough hook.
- Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup (60g) at a time, until a smooth ball begins to form. Knead by machine on low for 5-10 minutes until a soft, smooth ball of dough is formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch.
- Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Spritz the top of the dough with spray as well and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise for 20 minutes at room temperature or until the dough is full and puffy.
- Spray work surface lightly with cooking spray and dump dough out. Divide into 16 (90g) portions. Shape into a flat round with your fingertips then add 2 tablespoons (43g) chilled cheese sauce to the center. Pull edges to center above the cheese filling then pinch to completely seal.
- Place filled rolls onto a well greased or parchment paper lined half-sheet baking pan or three 9″ round cake pans. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffy looking.
- While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and an internal thermometer reads 190°F. You can brush the baked rolls with melted butter if desired. Serve warm, store leftovers in a plastic bag in the fridge. Briefly nuke for 15 seconds to rewarm.
Notes
If you want to freeze the unbaked buns, place in the pans and allow to rise for 10 minutes. Wrap airtight and freeze for up to 4 weeks. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, then unwrap and bake as directed.
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