What can I say about these little buns apart that they are so soft that simply melt in the mouth? Slightly sweet, once you bite into them, you are surprised by the slightly salty cheese that is hidden in the centre, which is almost part of the dough itself. This cheese is called Catupiry is a mild soft type of cheese that was invented over a century ago and is part of Brazil’s food industry history. Catupiry is a Tupi-Guarani word that means excellent and no wonder Brazilians love it. Over the years many recipes were created to include this cheese with some of them now being considered classic Brazilian dishes. This bun is one of them, but since it is not possible to find Catupiry in Australia (yet!) I replaced it with soft goat’s cheese. Catupiry can also be replaced by other soft mild cheeses such as Port Salut. They are sold in bakeries all over Brazil and are the perfect snack to eat at any time of the day or an accompaniment for light meals such as soups and green salads.
Eat them preferably warm straight out of the oven or re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave just before serving.
Ingredients
400 g all purpose potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1 ½ cups (300 g) plain flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
120g soft goat’s cheese, chilled
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
1 tbs milk
Instructions
1. Place the potatoes, milk and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes reserving 1 tbs of milk. Mash the potatoes while hot.
2. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the butter and mix with your hands to form crumbles. Add the potato and start kneading the dough. Add beaten egg and 1 tbs milk and continue kneading for 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky add a little bit of flour. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
3. Pre-heat the oven 180°C, fan-forced. Cut goat’s cheese into 16 equal-sized cubes. Spoon approximately 1 tbs of the dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball on the palm of your hand to approximately a 6 cm disc. Place a piece of goat’s cheese in the centre and firmly join the edges of the dough to form a ball again. Repeat with the remaining dough to form 16 buns. For the egg wash, whisk an egg yolk with 1 tsp milk. Brush buns with egg wash and bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Notes: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up two days. Serve preferably warm. Re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave just before serving.
Makes: 16 buns