Soft Dough Cheese Pastries
A cottony soft dough that bakes into irresistible cheese-filled pastries.
This dough is called "cottony" for its extreme softness, like cotton, and its secret is brushing with butter and oil between the layers. It is filled with a blend of white cheese, cheddar and mozzarella along with parsley and nigella seeds, then baked until golden. The result is fluffy pastries that stay soft even the next day, perfect for breakfast and dinner.
How to Prepare
Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast, add the water and knead into a soft dough, then leave to rest until risen.
Combine the melted butter and oil for layering.
Roll out the dough, brush with the butter-oil mix, and fill with either the white cheese, parsley and nigella mix or the white cheese, peppers, cheddar and mozzarella mix.
Shape the pastries and arrange them on a tray.
Bake in a preheated oven at the highest temperature on the middle rack, first 5 minutes with bottom heat then top and bottom heat until golden.
Made it? Rate this recipe
Brushing the dough with the butter-oil mix gives a light, cottony texture.
Ingredient Swaps
Use any available cheese blend instead of the three cheeses. | Swap the cheese filling for a meat or spinach filling to vary the taste. | Replace part of the butter with vegetable oil when brushing if you prefer.
Common Questions
How do I get a soft, cottony dough?
Knead it well until elastic, let it prove until doubled, and brush between the layers.
Why does the dough need to rest?
Resting lets the yeast work so the dough turns light and fluffy.
How do I keep them soft after baking?
Brush the tops with butter straight out of the oven and cover with a clean towel.
How do I get a shiny golden top?
Brush the surface with egg yolk or milk and sprinkle nigella seeds before baking.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, freeze them after baking and reheat when needed, or shape and freeze them raw.
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