Sweet Potato Bun Cheese Dip

Want to impress your friends? A tray of fresh bread with a centre of Camembert Cheese as a dip is sure to win them over! And, if you’ve never tried fresh bread before, the smell alone of my Sweet Potato Bun will have you wishing you tried it earlier.

Why This is the Perfect Dinner Party Appetizer

When I am hosting, I want a “wow-factor” appetizer that doesn’t chain me to the kitchen. I like my famous guacamole and terriyaki meatballs, but this is the complete package and below are the reasons why.

• Looks impressive but secretly easy. This will make it look like you spent hours baking from scratch but the steps are simple. It’s a high impact centerpieces with low key effort!
• The Ultimate shared experience. This is an interactive appetizer, wveryone gathers around pulling apart the soft, sweet buns and dipping them in into the melted cheese. It’s a natural conversation starter. When I tested this in the kitchen all my team came down stairs as the freshly baked Garlic & Rosemary aromas filled the air.
• Make-Ahead friendly: you can prep the dough balls and have them ready on the tray, just pop the camembert in the middle and bake when the guests arrive.
• Scales for any crowd. If your hosting a big group, just make two trays!

Why Camembert Cheese?

It’s a big discussion, Camembert vs Brie. At first I wasn’t sure which to use without taste testing both, so, I had a plan. A family blind taste test! I didn’t let on what I was doing, simply, I made this with Brie first and left it on the counter for everyone, then, the next day with Camembert, I got one question back. Why does this one taste better? BINGO!

I believed the Camembert would be the choice because it tends to release more flavor when baked, even though it’s definitely increases the bitterness overall, the sweetness of the buns actually balances it out so you’ve got the best of both worlds!

Ingredients

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• Camembert Cheese: Like I’ve just mentioned, Camembert was the favorite with the family, the savory cheese with the sweet bread is a perfect combo.
• Sweet Potato Puree: This for me was a game changer, I looove sweet bread, so when I first found out about using sweet potato I was hesitant, but after using it the first time with my mum, safe to say I was sold
• Honey, Butter & Salt: This is the topping for the bread! Again going with the theme of sweet and savory, honey and salt is a great topping and it makes the buns pop more to the eye.
• Garlic & Rosemary: Cheese by itself is good, but like my Pull Apart Garlic Bread… Needs garlic
• Yeast and All Purpose Flour: Of course the very base of the buns, can’t make good buns without these two.

Note: Find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the Recipe Card.

Step By Step

I’ve split this up into a few steps to make it more digestible (pun intended)

For The Buns:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the water and milk. Stir in sugar, then sprinkle over the dry yeast. Then let sit for until foamy.

2. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine remaining sugar, eggs, salt, melted butter, rosemary, and sweet potato purée. Mix briefly on medium, then pour in yeast mixture.

3. Add flour gradually, mixing on low until a soft dough forms. Increase to medium and knead until smooth and pulling away from the bowl the dough should remain slightly sticky at the bottom. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, as that will make your buns dense. The sticky bottom ensures a fluffy, moist crumb.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball, and place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until roughly doubled in size.

5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place a lightly oiled bowl (same size as the Camembert) in the center. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions

6. Roll each into a ball and arrange evenly around the bowl, leaving space between them for rising. Cover loosely and let rise. Once risen, remove bowl and replace it with parchment paper. Place the Camembert in the center.

For The Baked Camembert:

1. Score the top of the cheese with a sharp knife. Insert garlic slices and rosemary into the cuts, drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper.

2. Bake until the buns are golden brown and the Camembert is soft and melty.

For The Honey Butter:

1. Combine the melted butter and honey. Brush buns with honey butter immediately, then sprinkle with flaky salt and rosemary.

2. Serve immediately! using the warm buns to dip into the melted Camembert.

Now believe me this is great by itself, but if you’re making this as a side dish or appetizer, I’d suggest pairing it with Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops, Homemade Gnocchi and my favorite Buffalo Chicken Dip.

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