Dough Balls with Creamy Spinach and Bacon Dip – perfect for parties, BBQs or a family lunch where everyone can dig in!
It’s been hot and I’ve been spending more time in the garden than at my desk, sipping iced coffee and trying to catch up. I planned to get a lot of recipe work done before the kids’ school break, but the sunshine had other ideas. Still, the day was worth it — we finally finished the garden after a long stretch of extension work and clearing, and it looks wonderful now that the grass is down and the space is tidy.
Chris was home too, so we slipped out to a garden centre to pick up some plants and a small water feature, and I couldn’t resist a few blue saucers that will double as photo props. The evening ended with barbecued peach whisky cocktails and an impromptu BBQ — a perfect, lazy summer day. The downside is I’m behind on my to-do list, but at least this recipe was ready to publish.
This is an updated take on my dough balls: two layers of soft, fluffy rolls surrounding a warm, creamy spinach and bacon dip. It’s ideal for sharing — place it in the middle of the table with a salad and let everyone pull off a roll and scoop the dip. It also makes a great party appetiser or a crowd-pleasing BBQ side.
The Dough Balls with Creamy Spinach and Bacon Dip Recipe:
Dough Balls with Creamy Spinach and Bacon Dip
Ingredients
Dough Balls:
- 500 g (4 cup + 1 tbsp) strong white bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 25 g (3 tbsp) caster sugar
- 10 g (3 tsp) instant yeast
- 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) warm (not hot) milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
Cheesy Bacon Dip:
- 200 g (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) cream cheese
- 100 ml (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) soured cream
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 120 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) mature cheddar, grated (reserve 2 tbsp)
- 30 g (5 tbsp) parmesan, grated
- 35 g (1/3 cup) fresh baby spinach, washed and finely chopped
- 12 rashers cooked streaky bacon, chopped (reserve 2 tbsp)
- Pinch of black pepper
Also:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)
- 2 sprigs parsley, roughly torn (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the flour in a bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and sugar to one side and the instant yeast to the other (keep salt and yeast apart). Add the butter and milk. Mix on medium speed for 7–8 minutes until the dough becomes soft and smooth—initially it will be wet and sticky.
- Oil the inside of a large bowl, transfer the dough into it, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Prepare a large ovenproof dish or pan approximately 30–35 cm in diameter. Place an upturned ovenproof bowl about 10–12 cm in diameter in the centre and lightly brush the outside of the bowl with oil to prevent sticking.
- When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knock the air out by folding it over itself repeatedly. Divide the dough into equal pieces of about 30 g each and roll into balls. Arrange the dough balls around the small bowl in the centre, leaving a little space between them to allow expansion. Cover the dish with clingfilm and prove for a further 30–40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan).
- Make the dip by combining the cream cheese, soured cream, crushed garlic, most of the cheddar (reserve 2 tbsp), parmesan, chopped spinach, most of the chopped bacon (reserve 2 tbsp) and a pinch of black pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Carefully remove the upturned bowl from the centre of the proved dough arrangement and spoon the dip into the centre. Sprinkle the reserved cheddar and bacon over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes until the rolls and dip are golden. Brush the hot rolls with melted butter, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with torn parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutritional information is per serving and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Calories: 661 kcal | Carbohydrates: 73 g | Protein: 20 g | Fat: 31 g | Saturated Fat: 18 g | Cholesterol: 78 mg | Sodium: 1012 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is approximate.
