Buttery Cheese Garlic Rolls with Roasted Garlic and Mozzarella
By Olivia Hayes
Prep
20 min
Total
285 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
Slow-roasting the garlic under foil softens it before it meets the butter, so the filling spreads into the dough instead of leaving sharp raw pieces. These buttery cheese garlic rolls pair pillowy-soft enriched dough with roasted garlic, parsley, salty Parmesan, and melted mozzarella.
Warm milk, active dry yeast, and honey form a foamy sponge before the eggs, two flours, salt, and sugar are added. The recipe uses both all-purpose and bread flour, then waits until late in kneading to add soft butter. That order gives the dough structure before the fat is worked in, while the garlic butter carries roasted garlic, parsley, salt, and flavorful oil.
The dough should be very soft and slightly sticky after its final knead, rather than dry or firm. A foamy layer on the yeast mixture is the first sign that the dough is on track; if it never appears, the yeast or milk temperature is the likely problem. Rushing either proof can leave the finished rolls hard instead of soft and airy.
Roll the filled dough into six individual strips, let the shaped rolls proof again, then brush them with beaten egg before baking. The recipe suggests serving them as warm garlic bread. For leftovers, it recommends freezing rolls and microwaving them from frozen to bring back a fresher soft texture.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Roasting the peeled garlic under foil for the stated long bake turns it soft enough to mash smoothly into butter, avoiding firm pieces in the filling.
- Adding soft butter only after the initial knead lets the dough build structure first, helping the risen rolls keep their shape with a tender crumb.
- The warm-milk sponge gives an early visual check because a foamy top shows the active dry yeast has reacted before flour is added.
- Using all-purpose flour with bread flour balances the dough mixture, while the extended kneading creates the very soft, slightly sticky texture described in the recipe.
- Cutting the filled dough into individual strips before rolling gives more control over each roll’s shape, without squeezing a full log while slicing.
- A final egg wash before baking helps the rolls take on the nice color supported by the dough’s granulated sugar and the hot oven.
Ingredients
- •3 heads garlic (peeled)
- •4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- •salt (pinch)
- •2 eggs
- •0.5 cup milk (warm; 120 ml)
- •2.5 tsp active dry yeast (8 g)
- •1 tbsp honey (recipe ingredient list; instructions specify 1 tsp)
- •1.75 cups all-purpose flour (slightly over; 230 g)
- •0.33 cup bread flour (50 g)
- •1.5 tsp salt
- •1 tbsp granulated sugar
- •2.5 tbsp unsalted butter (soft; 35 g)
- •1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- •2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded; 200 g)
- •0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated; 45 g)
- •3.5 tbsp unsalted butter (soft; 50 g)
- •3 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- •salt (pinch)
- •roasted garlic (previously roasted)
- •1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)
Instructions
- 1
Peel 3 garlic heads and place them in a ramekin. Drizzle with 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and add a pinch of salt.
- 2
Cover the ramekin with aluminum foil and bake at 302 F (150 C) for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- 3
Combine the warm milk, active dry yeast, and 1 tsp honey in a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Stir and let sit in a warm environment for 10 to 15 minutes, until a foam layer forms on top.
- 4
Add 2 eggs, all-purpose flour, bread flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and granulated sugar to the yeast mixture.
- 5
Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low speed for 15 minutes.
- 6
Add 2 1/2 tbsp soft unsalted butter and knead for 10 more minutes. The dough should be very soft and slightly sticky.
- 7
Let the dough proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours at 80.6 F (27 C).
- 8
While the dough proofs, chop parsley to make about 4 tbsp, shred mozzarella to make 2 cups, and grate Parmesan to make 1/2 cup.
- 9
Mash 3 1/2 tbsp soft unsalted butter, 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of salt, and the roasted garlic in a bowl or on a plate to make the garlic butter.
- 10
Roll out the dough and spread it with the garlic butter. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- 11
Cut the dough into 6 strips and roll each strip individually. Place the rolls in a prepared pan lined with parchment paper.
- 12
Proof the shaped rolls for 30 more minutes.
- 13
Preheat the oven to 355 F (180 C). Beat the remaining egg and brush each roll with the egg wash.
- 14
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
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