Growing up and even to this day, one of my favorite parts of any nice dinner was the bread. Soft, freshly baked dinner rolls have always been a highlight of a meal whether it’s a holiday feast or a casual dinner. I love amping up these dinner rolls by adding cheese and garlic to the center, so that when you bite into them, it’s a surprise of melty cheese, which come on, what more could you want?

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Rise Time: 6 hours to overnight

Bake Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: Around 8-10 hours

Makes 10-12 dinner rolls

Ingredients:

1 Cup (240mL) Whole Milk

2 ¼ Tsp (one packet) Instant Yeast

2 Tbs (30g) Honey

1 Large Egg, Room Temp

1 Tsp (4g) Salt

3 Cups (360g) Bread Flour

6 Tbs (82g) Softened Unsalted Butter, Cut into 1 Tbs Size Pieces

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

¼ Cup Minced Garlic

 For the Topping:

½ Cup (113g) Melted Unsalted Butter

1 Tsp (4g) Garlic Powder

Flaky Sea Salt

Directions:

1.     Heat the milk until it is warm to the touch, making sure it doesn’t exceed 105 Degrees F. Add the yeast and 1Tbs of the honey, stirring to combine, and let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.

2.     Add the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the egg and remaining tbs of honey, mixing with a fork to combine.

3.     Add 1 Cup of the flour, and use the dough hook to mix it in. After it is incorporated, add the salt and the rest of the flour, mixing on a medium speed until the dough comes together.

4.     Once the dough is somewhat smooth, add the butter, 1 tbs at a time with the mixer on low speed, and once all the butter is added and incorporated, turn the speed up to medium high and knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

5.     Gather the dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered bowl. Cover with plastic and now you can either chill this in the refrigerator overnight, or you can let sit at room temperature until doubled in size. If you keep it at room temperature, it will take around 5-6 hours to rise, since all the butter in the dough will slow down the yeast activity.

6.     Once the dough is risen, punch it down and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into even sized pieces, 10-12 depending on the size you prefer.

7.     Roll the pieces of dough into balls, then take a ball of dough, press your thumbs into the center creating a crater, and place 1tbs of shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ tsp minced garlic in there, closing the dough over it to trap it in the center. Roll the piece of dough back into a ball, then place in the greased dish. Repeat this with every roll, then cover loosely with greased plastic and allow to proof at room temperature for about an hour, or until doubled in size. If you chilled the dough overnight, it may take a little longer. Preheat your oven to 350 F (180C).

8.     Once the rolls are proofed, brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tbs water) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

9.     Mix the melted butter with the garlic powder and brush that over the tops of the warm rolls, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve immediately!

-Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.