These Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Stuffed Buns are a soft and delicious leavened bread, perfect for a Christmas lunch as a striking appetizer or for a New Year's Eve dinner. This creative and refined centerpiece, designed to impress guests, consists of many soft brioche buns filled with olives, ham, and cheese. These balls, when baked, create a stunning rustic dish, flavorful and stringy to the bite.
Quick and easy to make, and available in a thousand different variations: simply fill the resulting morsels with the desired ingredients, arrange them in a tree shape on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and you're done.
If you like, you can omit the filling and enjoy the empty buns instead of bread, or you can serve it as a tasty finger food at brunch time, together with delicious canapés and other festive appetizers.
Ingredients
How to Make Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Buns
Melt the butter in a bain-marie and let it cool.
Melt the butter in a bain-marie and let it cool.
Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Add the yeast.
Add the yeast.
Add the sugar.
Add the sugar.
Mix with a spoon.
Mix with a spoon.
Add the egg.
Add the egg.
Continue with the salt.
Continue with the salt.
Incorporate the egg with the prongs of a fork.
Incorporate the egg with the prongs of a fork.
Pour the warm milk.
Pour the warm milk.
Mix for a few moments.
Mix for a few moments.
Add the now lukewarm butter.
Add the now lukewarm butter.
Knead with your hands.
Knead with your hands.
Then transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to work with your hands until you obtain an elastic and homogeneous dough.
Then transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to work with your hands until you obtain an elastic and homogeneous dough.
Form a ball.
Form a ball.
Prepare the filling: chop the pitted black olives and the cooked ham with a knife, and cut the provola into cubes.
Prepare the filling: chop the pitted black olives and the cooked ham with a knife, and cut the provola into cubes.
Collect the chopped ingredients in a container.
Collect the chopped ingredients in a container.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese.
Mix with a spoon.
Mix with a spoon.
Transfer the prepared dough into a floured bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for about 3 hours or until doubled in size.
Transfer the prepared dough into a floured bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for about 3 hours or until doubled in size.
Once doubled in volume, take the dough again.
Once doubled in volume, take the dough again.
Turn it out onto the work surface and, with the help of a cutter, cut out 38 portions of approximately 18 g each.
Turn it out onto the work surface and, with the help of a cutter, cut out 38 portions of approximately 18 g each.
Flatten each portion with a rolling pin, so as to form many disks.
Flatten each portion with a rolling pin, so as to form many disks.
Stuff each disk with a teaspoon of filling.
Stuff each disk with a teaspoon of filling.
Close the flaps over the filling and seal the dough in the center.
Close the flaps over the filling and seal the dough in the center.
Form a ball by gently rolling it between your hands.
Form a ball by gently rolling it between your hands.
Then roll it on the work surface, so as to obtain a smooth surface, and continue in this way until you run out of ingredients.
Then roll it on the work surface, so as to obtain a smooth surface, and continue in this way until you run out of ingredients.
Start composing the brioche tree by making the trunk with 4 balls and placing them 1/2 cm away from each other.
Start composing the brioche tree by making the trunk with 4 balls and placing them 1/2 cm away from each other.
Form a row of 6 balls above the trunk, always spaced apart from each other.
Form a row of 6 balls above the trunk, always spaced apart from each other.
Make another row of 7 balls.
Make another row of 7 balls.
Then proceed to create the tree by forming a row of 6 balls, then 5, 4, 3… and so on, in decreasing order, until you get to the last ball.
Then proceed to create the tree by forming a row of 6 balls, then 5, 4, 3… and so on, in decreasing order, until you get to the last ball.
Once the tree is formed, let it rise, covered with a damp cloth, for about 1 hour.
Once the tree is formed, let it rise, covered with a damp cloth, for about 1 hour.
Once the leavening time has passed, arrange the brioche tree on a baking tray.
Once the leavening time has passed, arrange the brioche tree on a baking tray.
Brush the stuffed balls with the egg yolk, lightly beaten with a drop of milk.
Brush the stuffed balls with the egg yolk, lightly beaten with a drop of milk.
Bake at 350°F/180°C and leave to cook for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Bake at 350°F/180°C and leave to cook for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Finally, take the savory brioche tree out of the oven.
Finally, take the savory brioche tree out of the oven.
Garnish it with some rosemary needles, bring to the table and serve.
Garnish it with some rosemary needles, bring to the table and serve.
Cooking Tips
- If you like, you can fill the brioche tree with smoked salmon and shrimp and enjoy it on Christmas Eve with other delicious appetizers.
- For a crunchy touch, you can sprinkle the rustico with sesame or sunflower seeds, or you can sprinkle it, once baked, with pink peppercorns or rosemary needles (as in our recipe).
- If you wish, you can replace the dry yeast with fresh yeast: in this case you will need about 12 g.
- Those with a sweet tooth can then try their hand at a sweet version by increasing the amount of sugar and filling the dough balls with a delicious hazelnut or pistachio spread.
Storage Instructions
The savory brioche bun can be stored at room temperature, under a glass bell jar, for 2-3 days maximum.
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