Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Makes 14 small buns
For the dough
- 500 g (4 cups) sifted all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 280 ml (1 cup + 3 Tbsp) warm water
- 8 g (2½ tsp) active dry yeast (or 20 g / 0.7 oz fresh yeast)
- 20 g (1½ Tbsp) light brown sugar
- 10 g (1¾ tsp) fine salt
- 40 g (3 Tbsp) olive oil
For the cheese cream
- 250 g (1 cup) well-drained ricotta
- 200 g (7 oz) cream cheese (in Israel, 16% gvinat shamenet)
- 80 g (¾ cup) shredded mozzarella
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Black pepper
- A few sprigs of chives, finely chopped
For the topping
- 250-300 g (1¾-2 cups) white and/or golden sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp honey or silan (date syrup), diluted in a bowl of warm water
Kneading the Jerusalem bagel dough
Put all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. It should be supple but not sticky. Let it rise for 1½ hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge (that’s what I recommend: your dough will be better with this slow rise).
Shaping the mini Jerusalem bagel buns
Once the time is up, weigh your dough and divide it into 14 balls of 55–65 g each. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Set out 2 bowls, one with the water + honey (or silan) and the other with the sesame seeds. Dip each ball quickly in the water, roll the outside in sesame seeds, pressing lightly, then set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let rise for 20 minutes.
Topping the mini Jerusalem bagel buns
Flatten the center of each ball with the bottom of a glass (oil it lightly so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Pipe on a generous amount of cheese cream and scatter shredded mozzarella over the top.
Baking the mini Jerusalem bagel-style buns
Preheat the oven to 190–200°C (375–400°F) on the fan/convection setting and bake for about 15 minutes, then 2 minutes under the broiler (grill) if you want more color or a more golden, bubbly top.
These little buns are wonderful alongside fresh, tangy salads, especially green salads, fennel salad, or anything with lemon and fresh herbs.
Tips
- These marvelous little buns freeze well once they are completely cool (cool them on a rack to avoid condensation underneath). Set them on a tray lined with parchment paper and put them in the freezer for 1 hour. You can then easily transfer them to freezer bags. To thaw, put them in the oven straight from the freezer at 160–170°C (325–340°F) for 8 to 12 minutes; they’ll come out just as soft as when they were fresh.