With a homemade brioche bread rolled up and stuffed with butter, cheese and herbs, there isn't a better appetizer/snack than these cheese rolls.
Who said rolls/buns only had to be sweet? Sure I love some good brioche cinnamon rolls, but the base dough has so many uses.
And that's where these cheese rolls come into play. It is actually a very similar recipe to the above mentioned cinnamon rolls.
The key difference is obviously the cheese and herbs as opposed to cinnamon. But the star of the show here is the bread. It is a brioche-style so the inside is light and fluffy and loaded with butter flavor.
So if you are looking for a great make-ahead appetizer for a holiday or party, these savory rolls should be at the top of the list!
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Ingredient Notes
- Milk - it is important to use whole milk as it has the right fat content to create that fluffy texture.
- Instant yeast - I'm a fan of instant yeast for this recipe as you can just throw it in with the ingredients and you don't have to activate it with water.
- Cheese - don't buy any pre-shredded cheese. It just doesn't taste as good. Buy a block and shred it yourself.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I like instant yeast, you can use active dry. You'll need to heat up ¼ cup of water to 110°F and let yeast bloom for about 10 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Cheddar cheese is my go-to here, but any good cheese will work - from mozzarella to pepper jack to gouda. Just use your favorite.
- While I like the ease of Italian seasoning, you can use fresh herbs like basil, rosemary and thyme among others. You'll have to triple the amount however.
Step-by-Step Photos
Add all of the dough ingredients to a mixing bowl and knead for 4-5 minutes with the dough attachment until it starts to pull from the sides.
Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour or until doubled in size. Once ready, roll out the dough to a 12x16 inch rectangle that is about ¼ inch thick.
Rub in the butter and then sprinkle the cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder over it. Roll into a log and cut into 12 equal pieces.
Place in a parchment-lined baking dish and let rise for about 30 minutes. Once ready, bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
FAQs
You want to add just enough flour where the dough is just starting to not stick to the sides of the bowl. It varies between 3 ½ and 4 cups.
Yes. After placing in the baking dish. Just cover and place in the fridge. Once ready to bake, just through in the oven.
As I said above, you need to add just the right amount of flour. Too little flour and the dough will be too sticky and will result in dense rolls. Too much and they'll be tough and dry.
You know they are done by inserting an instant read thermometer in the middle of one and it registers at 190°F
You can freeze these brioche cheese rolls before or after baking.
If freezing before baking just proceed to the step with the 2nd rise. After risen, cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. When read to bake, let them thaw in the fridge overnight before proceeding.
Baked cheese rolls can freeze for up to 3 months. Just let them come to room temperature before placing in an airtight container. Let them thaw overnight before warming up in the microwave or oven.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You want your milk warm but don't overheat it or it will kill the yeast. It should be between 105-110°F.
- Room temperature eggs are important so the mix well with the melted butter and don't coagulate.
- The butter for the filling of the cheese rolls should be room temperature so you can easily spread on the filling.
- Use freshly grated cheese as it tastes better and doesn't have added preservatives.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried these cheese rolls or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cheese Rolls
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp sea salt
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, instant yeast, sugar, eggs, butter, 3 ½ cups flour, and salt. With a dough attachment, mix the ingredients until the flour is incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time but it's better to be on the sticky side. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Lightly dust your work surface with some flour. Remove dough from mixing bowl and punch down. Roll the dough to about ¼" thick and a rectangle about 12x16 inches. It doesn't have to be perfect. I use a 9x13 baking dish as reference. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cheese and seasonings on top and press in so it stays.
- Starting with the long edge close to you, roll the dough into a log, trying to keep tight throughout. With a sharp knife, cut 12 rolls about 1" thick. Place the rolls in a parchment-lined 9x13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and the middles are done.
Notes
- You want your milk warm but don't overheat it or it will kill the yeast. It should be between 105-110°F.
- Room temperature eggs are important so the mix well with the melted butter and don't coagulate.
- The butter for the filling should be room temperature so you can easily spread on the filling.
- Use freshly grated cheese as it tastes better and doesn't have added preservatives.
- You know the rolls are done by inserting an instant read thermometer in the middle of one and it registers at 190°F.
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