Quick-Laminated Spinach & Sharp Cheddar Morning Buns
We're not suffering for brunch, but we're also not dedicating three days to laminated dough.\n\nBack when I was pulling dawn shifts at a Bay Area bakery, I'd watch the line wrap around the block for our savory croissants. I loved them, but on my day off? I want to sleep in. Paris taught me pastry restraint, but California taught me schedule practicality.\n\nThese Quick-Laminated Spinach & Sharp Cheddar Morning Buns are the compromise that doesn't taste like one. It's a café-case staple built on a simple trick: grated cold cultured butter. It takes fifteen minutes to fold together but delivers a shatteringly lacy crumb—no crumb tight like a bad alibi here.\n\nThe filling is straightforward but ruthless. You must squeeze the spinach violently dry. Excess water creates steam that kills your flake. Toss that dry spinach with a seriously sharp aged cheddar and bake them in a muffin tin. The tin forces the dough upward, giving you maximum crispy edges and a confident, high-rise wobble.\n\nCami's shortcut note: Make it yours by swapping the cheddar for Gruyère or adding a heavy pinch of Aleppo pepper.\n\nDon't skip this: Butter is not a garnish, it's the architecture. Keep your dough cold, let the fridge do the work between your folds, and bake until deeply, unapologetically golden.
Featured Recipe
Quick-Laminated Spinach & Sharp Cheddar Morning Buns
We're not suffering for brunch, but we're also not dedicating three days to laminated dough. This is my café-case staple, built on a grated-butter rough puff that takes fifteen minutes and delivers a shatteringly lacy crumb. The hero is the spinach—squeezed violently dry and packed with aged cheddar. Bake them in a muffin tin for maximum crispy edges and that confident, high-rise wobble.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 10 oz Fresh spinach(Stems removed, washed)
- 1 whole Shallot(Finely diced)
- 2 cups All-purpose flour(Plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup Cultured unsalted butter(Frozen solid (2 sticks))
- 1/2 cup Ice water
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar(Helps tenderize the dough)
- 1.5 cups Sharp white cheddar(Freshly grated)
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg(Freshly grated)
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper(Freshly ground)
- 1 tbsp Softened butter(For greasing the tin)
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 whole Large egg(Beaten with a splash of water)
- 1 tbsp softened butter(Used for greasing muffin tin)
- 1 whole finely diced shallot(Used for wilting with spinach)
- 1 cup frozen cultured unsalted butter(Used for rough puff pastry)
- 1 whole floured surface(Used for rolling dough)
- 1 splash splash of water(Used for egg wash)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin (using every other well, so 6 total) with 1 tbsp softened butter.
5 min
Tip: Spacing them out in the tin ensures the hot air circulates, giving you maximum crust.
- 2
Wilt 10 oz fresh spinach and 1 finely diced shallot in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until collapsed, about 5 minutes. No oil—we just want to draw out moisture. Transfer to a sieve to cool.
5 min
Tip: The dry skillet method is crucial here. Extra fat now means soggy dough later.
- 3
Make the rough puff. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp kosher salt. Quickly grate 1 cup frozen cultured unsalted butter directly into the bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Toss lightly to coat the shards.
3 min
Tip: Keep your hands cold and work fast. You want distinct ribbons of butter coated in flour.
- 4
Drizzle 1/2 cup ice water and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar over the flour mixture. Gently toss with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a counter, pat into a rough rectangle, and do one simple letter fold. Wrap and freeze for 15 minutes.
7 min
Tip: Don't overwork it. A shaggy mess now means lacy crumb later.
- 5
Wring out the cooled spinach. Squeeze it in a kitchen towel until not a single drop of water remains. Don't skip this. Chop it finely and toss with 1.5 cups grated sharp white cheddar, 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
5 min
Tip: Water is the enemy of flake. Squeeze until your hands hurt.
- 6
Pull the dough from the freezer. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Smear the surface with 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, leaving a 1-inch border at the top edge.
5 min
Tip: If the dough fights you and shrinks back, let it rest on the counter for 2 minutes, then try again.
- 7
Scatter the spinach-cheddar mixture evenly over the mustard. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll it tightly into a log. Trim the messy ends, then slice into 6 equal pieces.
5 min
Tip: Use a very sharp serrated knife to cut the log so you don't squash your beautiful layers.
- 8
Place each spiral cut-side up into the prepared muffin tin wells. Whisk 1 large egg with a splash of water and lightly brush the tops of the buns.
5 min
Tip: Make sure to tuck the loose end of the spiral underneath the bun before pressing it into the tin to prevent unravelling.
- 9
Bake until the pastry is puffed, deep golden, and shatteringly crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before popping them out. They should feel light and sound hollow.
35 min
Tip: Color is flavor. Don't pull them out when they are pale blonde—wait for a deep, confident bronze.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: The grated frozen butter is the whole trick here. It creates instant fat shards without the tedious pounding of a butter block. Keep your hands cold, work fast, and let the oven's heat do the heavy lifting. Don't skip the manual spinach-wringing. Water is the enemy of flake, and a soggy center is tight like a bad alibi. Butter is not a garnish.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.