Appetizing.tv: Savory Vatrushki (Russian Cheese Buns)

Okay, these cheese buns took a surprising amount of research, but they're pretty darn delicious.  The original content creator is from Romania, and the recipe called for mozzarella and "cow cheese".  Now, last time I checked, there is a plethora of cow's milk cheeses.  I needed to get more specific.  I looked up what would be a common crumbly cow's milk cheese in Romania, and found that there is a cheese called Urdă that is used often.  No Urdă at the store, but it does have a good substitute: Ricotta Salata.  I actually kind of enjoy these little food detective cases, especially when the result makes it worth the investment.

Note:  I had to add an additional 100g of flour on top of the 350g that the original recipe called for.  That seems excessive just for humidity differences (and it's a sunny day today), so I would just start with 350g and work your way up until you have a good elastic dough that isn't sticking to every surface of your hands.

Savory Vatrushki (Russian Cheese Buns)
Adapted from Appetizing.tv

1 cup warm whole milk, approximately 110°F
1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2¾ to 3⅝ cups (350 to 450g) all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 large eggs, divided use
6 green onions, thinly sliced, green portions only
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
5½ ounces shredded mozzarella
3½ ounces crumbly cow cheese, such as Urdă or Ricotta Salata

Whisk together milk, yeast, and sugar; set aside for five minutes to bloom yeast. Add yeast mixture to flour with 1¼ teaspoons salt, garlic powder, and one egg, mix well. Knead mixture into a dough. Add green onion and softened butter and knead again briefly just to combine. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Remove dough from bowl, sprinkle lightly with flour, and roll into a cylinder. Divide dough into eight portions, rolling each portion into a ball shape, and place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a drinking glass with about a 2-inch diameter on bottom dipped in oil, press down on each dough ball to create an indentation. Mix together cheeses, two eggs, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Spoon cheese mixture into indentations on dough balls. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl; brush edges of dough balls. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 servings