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A cropped square image of a danubio salato on a rustic wooden surface.
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Danubio Salato (Neapolitan Stuffed Brioche Buns)

Use the camera icon to toggle the step by step photos on and off. Danubio Salato is a Neapolitan pull-apart brioche bread stuffed with cheese and ham. Super fun to make and perfect for sharing with a crowd.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
proofing time6 hours
Total Time7 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 16 servings
Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

  • stand mixer with dough hook
  • 10-inch (25cm) cake pan (preferably springform)
  • large mixing bowl
  • Plastic wrap (cling film)

Ingredients

For the brioche dough

  • 500 g strong bread flour (3 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) fast-action (instant) yeast (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 egg yolks at room temperature
  • 250 ml (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk
  • 85 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature (plus extra for greasing)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the filling

  • 100 g (3.5oz) ham or salami can use a mix
  • 200 g (7oz) cheese (We used a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and smoked scamorza)

Egg wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

Instructions

To make the dough

  • Gently warm the milk until it’s lukewarm.
  • Put the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer and add the yeast, sugar and salt (don’t place the yeast directly on top of the salt). Give it a quick mix with a fork.
    Two photos in a collage showing flour, salt, sugar, yeast, egg yolks and milk being added to a stand mixer with a dough hook.
  • Add the 2 egg yolks and lukewarm milk, then knead using the hook attachment on a medium speed until it forms a rough dough (about 5 minutes).
    Two photos in a collage showing a rough dough forming in a stand mixer.
  • Next, with the mixer on, add the butter a little at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough might look quite wet and sticky, but it comes together into a smooth and elastic dough after 10 minutes of kneading.
    Two photos in a collage showing what the dough looks like with butter added and what it looks like after kneading for 10 minutes.
  • Grease a mixing bowl with butter. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (cling film) and let it proof for 3 hours or until doubled in size.
    Two photos in a collage showing before and after the first proof of danubio dough.

How to form and stuff the buns

  • Grease your springform cake tin with butter and set aside. Cut the mozzarella, ham and other cheeses you are using into small cubes; set aside.
  • Tip the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface and cut it in half. Roll each half into logs around 12 inches in length. Cut each log into 8 equal pieces, giving you 16 pieces in total.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to for the dough into two logs and cut them into 16 pieces.
  • Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten it with your hand into a rough circle and fill it with some ham and cheese (don’t overstuff). Bring the edges together and pinch it at the top to seal the filling inside.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to stuff and seal the danubio salato balls.
  • Turn the dough over, so it’s seam side down on your worktop. Cup your hands around the dough and gently rotate it in a circular motion, keeping the edges tucked under to form a smooth ball, then place it in the cake tin.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to form the balls by rolling them on a work surface.
  • Repeat this with the rest of the dough until you have 16 filled buns in your cake tin. Cover with plastic wrap (cling film) and leave to proof until doubled in size (around 2-3 hours).

Bake

  • Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉ (fan or conventional).
  • Whisk the egg and milk together in a bowl, then lightly brush it over the brioche.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes if using a fan oven or 35-40 minutes if using a conventional oven, until golden brown on top (see my notes on this). Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
    Two photos showing the before and after of brushing with egg wash and baking.

Notes

  • Oven temperature: I found that baking the Danubio at 200C/400F in a static/conventional oven caused the Danubio to brown too quickly. Keep the temperature at 180C/350F if using a conventional oven, but bake it for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top. If using a fan oven, bake at 180C/350F for 30 minutes.
  • Cake pan size: a 10-inch cake pan works best to fit all the buns in. I have tested this recipe with a 9-inch cake pan, and it works well, but you will have around 3 buns leftover. You can proof and bake the extra buns in a separate cake pan/dish.
  • Yeast: I use fast-action yeast that can be added directly into the flour. Check if your yeast needs to be activated first; you can do this in a little milk from the recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
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