One of the many triumphs in my sourdough experiments were these sourdough garlic cream buns. This recipe was directly inspired by both the everything milk buns that were occasionally sold at EatDomi and the trending bloom bagel. In both cases, it is a round piece of bread that it cut to have wedges on top, tossed in a seasoned butter or oil, toasted, then stuffed with a cream filling. They sounded delicious and since I was trying to find some creative ways to use Horacio(my sourdough starter and yes I named him that because I watch MTV’s The Challenge), this was a fun idea to try. The buns themselves were crispy and toasty from the roasted garlic oil, and the whipped cream cheese breaks adds a silkiness and creaminess to the soft, spongy bread to make for an addictive eating experience. Upon my first bite of one of these, I devoured the bun within seconds. It took me trying four of my six buns to properly understand what I loved about them; after one bun, I described it as delicious, after a second, I would describe it as the best variation on a garlic knot or garlic bread, after a third, I realized that I loved the contrast between the heavily seasoned bun and the relatively mild cream cheese filling, and after the fourth, I realized that the toasted garlic flavor that permeated through the bun, plus the seasonings on top of the bun, and the cream cheese make these buns the perfect cross section between a piece of garlic bread, a garlic knot, and a toasted cream cheese bagel. If you like any of those things, you will love this recipe.

Like I mentioned already, sourdough is used as a basis for the dough. You can try substituting the sourdough with yeast(I would say maybe 4oz warm water to 7g instant-dry yeast and just add another 1/4 cup flour to the recipe), but what I love about the sourdough is that it has a spongier texture, which is perfect to soak up the toasted garlic oil that we are brushing into the little crevices we are cutting into the buns, and the tang of the sourdough plays off the tang of the cream cheese nicely. The buns themselves, after being baked and cooled, and cut open, brushed with a seasoned toasted garlic olive oil, and then baked a second time – this is important to toast up the interior of the bun, just so that the buns don’t eat soggy or greasy, but still have that roasted garlic oil flavor and a pleasant crispy crunch to them. The cream cheese mixture that I stuffed into the buns is a straightforward mixture of whipped cream cheese with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. It comes together quite quickly, but I recommend getting a good whip on the cream cheese so that it will pipe easier – I found that if the cream cheese is not whipped to a really spreadable consistency, it may clog your piping bag. All in all, this recipe was a ton of fun to make, a great way to use up some sourdough, and one I will definitely be making again and again in the near future, especially when I want something tasty and savory to nosh on.

Makes 6 buns:
For the sourdough buns:
2 cups all-purpose flour
6oz sourdough starter
4oz whole milk
2oz olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp black sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
maldon salt

In a bowl, knead flour, sourdough starter, whole milk, olive oil, and a pinch of salt together to form a smooth, elastic dough. Cover with cling wrap and then allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Then divide the dough into 6 pieces, rolling each into a smooth ball. Place the dough balls onto a lined sheet tray, spacing them 3 inches apart from one another, and allow the dough to rest for another 1 hour at room temperature. Brush the tops of the dough with a beaten egg. In another bowl, mix together the oregano, thyme, and black sesame seeds. Sprinkle the spices and the garlic over the dough balls, as well as the maldon salt. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, rotating the baking tray halfway through the baking process to guarantee even baking. Allow the buns to cool completely before cutting 4 lines across the top of the bread, cutting them only halfway through – you want there to be 8 wedges.

For the garlic oil:
3 cloves garlic, minced
a pinch of salt
a pinch of dried thyme
a pinch of dried oregano
3oz olive oil

In a pot, heat up all of the ingredients on low heat for 10-20 minutes, until the oil bubbles up slightly. Take the oil off heat and allow the oil to cool down. Brush the garlic oil around the insides of the bread. Toast the bread at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes. Allow the bread to fully cool again for attempting to assemble; if not filling right away, store the breads in an airtight container at room temperature.

For the cream filling:
8oz cream cheese
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

In a bowl, mix everything together until combined. Transfer to a piping bag. Pipe the cream cheese mixture into the crevices of each bun.