Kale & Garlic Pesto Buns
For the kale & garlic pesto:
To a food processor/blender, add
-1 bunch kale, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
-three cloves garlic
-juice of one lemon
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast (sub for grated parmesan, pecorino, or another sharp cheese)
-salt & pepper to taste
-water to thin out as needed
Blend all the ingredients together - I tend to add about 1/4-1/2 cup of water to get the consistency I want. You can have it thicker or thinner depending on your preference.
Store pesto in a jar - lasts a good few weeks in the fridge.
For the bun dough you will make a basic pizza dough:
- Mix 3 tsp of yeast into 2 1/2 cups warm water with 3 tbsp sugar. Allow yeast to sit for 10 mins.
- In a large bowl mix 6 cups flour and 2 tsp salt.
- Add in yeast mixture to flour and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Start kneading the dough, getting all the flour combined. You may need more flour, making sure the dough is not sticky, bouncy to touch, and smooth. It normally takes me about ten minutes of kneading to get there.
- Plop your dough into an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise for at least 1 hour. I left mine in a warm kitchen for 3 hours and it was perfect.
To make the buns...
Divide your dough into four equal-ish amounts (nothing has to be exact). Take one portion and on a floured surface roll out as much as you can. The dough is very springy, try to aim for about 3/4-1cm thickness. Spread some pesto all over, making sure to get to the edges. Now you can leave it at that, but you could also add whatever other fillings - I added two types of cheese. You could add olives, tomatoes, veggies, meats, etc.
Roll the dough into a log and slice. Place the buns into a greased baking dish, pack them in gently. They can touch one another. Keep making buns and filling your baking dish. The dough made 2 round 9" baking dishes full of buns for me.
I give the whole top a brush with and egg wash and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. You could brush the tops with milk or melted butter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for about 25-30 mins until they have puffed up and turned golden brown.