Mini Cheddar Swirl Buns

Combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix with a fork.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the yeast and milk until yeast is dissolved. Pour the yeast mixture and melted butter into the mixer bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until loosely combined.

Place the dough hook on the mixer and knead on low speed for 6-8 minutes until a smooth ball of dough is formed. You can also knead by hand on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.

When the dough has about 15 minutes of rising left, combine grated onion and cheeses, dill weed, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper and mix well.

Remove dough from bowl and roll out on a floured surface into a long, narrow rectangle about 8-by-24-inches in size. Spread filling evenly across the dough, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Carefully roll up the dough along the one of the long sides to form a long, narrow log. Cut the log into 3/4″ segments using a sharp serrated knife, which should yield 32-36 pieces.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan and an additional 8-by-8-inch pan with cooking spray. Place the slices into the pans leaving about 1/2″ of space between them. Melt butter and brush it over the the tops of the buns. Cover the pans with plastic wrap and allow buns to rise for about an hour in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap from pans and bake for about 25 minutes until tops are golden and the cheese is slightly bubbly.

Best served immediately, but they also reheat nicely for several days after baking.

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.