I’m an unabashed fan of Instagram. Unsurprisingly, most of the content I consume outside of friends stuff consists of cooking/baking, house design and cats. Thinking about it, I may follow more cat than human accounts. If you follow me on the Gram (oh God) [@tmhostess], you’ll know that this basically mirrors the content I produce.
Like the technologically advanced game of telephone that it is, one of my favorite aspects of Instagram is discovering new to me accounts. One such discovery a couple of years ago was Tiegahn Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. Her food styling is so good that I enthusiastically followed her account for months just for its gorgeous aesthetic before I realized I could actually make everything she posts.
I know, I’ve never claimed to the be the quickest horse in the race.
I’ve made it a goal to experiment with yeast for the next few months (when my kitchen is finally warm enough to proof dough) and Tiegahn’s cheesy swirly rolls were at the top of my list.
This recipe is rich with possible variations but I went with parmesan and pesto for these Easter dinner rolls.
The dough is supple and incredibly easy to work with (I made some slight tweaks to it in an attempt to develop the dough’s flavor just a snidge).
The second proofing is subtle, but worth the time.
And, before you know it, you’ll have a pan full of cheesy, chewy rolls.
There will be enough to share.
But I wouldn’t blame you a bit (and I definitely wouldn’t tell anyone) if you decided not to.
Make these!
Parmesan Swirly Rolls
adapted ever so slightly from Half Baked Harvest
Ingredients
- 1 C whole milk
- 1 packet (about 2 tsp) instant dry yeast
- 1 TBS honey or sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 TBS butter, melted
- 3 1/2 to 4 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 C shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4-1/2 basil pesto
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- In a small saucepan, heat milk on low until just warmed. Remove from heat, add yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, gently add milk and yeast mixture. Then add honey/sugar, eggs, butter and 3 1/2 C of flour. Give it a few rounds on low until things are generally combined. Add-in salt. Switch to dough hook and combine on low to medium speed until dough forms (4 to 5 minutes). If dough is super sticky, add-in remaining 1/2 C flour a couple of tablespoons at a time.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Turn dough into the bowl, shaping into a ball allowing entire surface to be coated in olive oil. Wrap bowl in with plastic and allow to rise in a warm, dry place (I used the laundry room) about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13 inch baking pan with parchment.
- Lightly dust work surface with flour. Turn-out dough and roll into a 10X16 inch rectangle. Spread a thin, even layer of pesto over surface. Top with even layer of cheese. Finish with freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Starting with the long edge of the dough, roll dough carefully into a log keeping the roll as tight as possible. When you reach the edge, gently pinch into dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into twelve piece (cut dough in half, each half into thirds and each remaining piece in half).
- Place rolls, spiral side-up into prepared pan (I like three rows of four). Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Serve warm.