Easy Cheesy Garlic Butter Rolls

ByElien
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These garlic butter rolls are so moreish and easy to make. They use a soft enriched dough wrapped around garlic butter, fresh herbs and cheese. After baking, the rolls are brushed with a little more melted garlic butter and flaky salt.

soft garlic butter rolls

They make the best dinner rolls, so you can serve them as a side dish or bring them to your next potluck dinner. The dough is tender and enriched, and it’s spread generously with garlic butter and cheese.

It’s pretty much the same dough as these small-batch sticky buns, but less sweet. It’s easy to work with by hand or in a mixer. Though not quite as enriched as brioche dough, the soft dough still has amazing texture and flavor.

side view of garlic bread rolls.

Baker’s schedule

These garlic rolls can be made in less than 4 hours. The dough undergoes two rising times – Once in a bowl, and once again once shaped.

Overnight option – For an overnight option, the dough can undergo its first rise in the refrigerator. The rise time will be much slower and not as much when undergoing a cold rise. This is normal. The dough will have a chance to rise much more when it undergoes its second-shaped rise in a warm spot.

close up of fluffy bun with salt and garlic.

Ingredients

Find the ingredient amounts listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

  • All-purpose flour or bread flour.
  • Yeast. Active dry yeast or instant dry yeast. The yeast used in this recipe can be instant yeast or active dried yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster than active dried yeast. Whichever one you use, it needs to be viable. Usually, the instant yeast sachets are pretty full-proof, but sometimes active dried yeast can lose viability.
  • A tablespoon of sugar. The dough itself doesn’t make sweet rolls, it just feeds the yeast and balances flavor.
  • A large egg 
  • Salt.
  • Whole milk. 
  • Butter – Just enough to bring some richness to the buns.
  • Fresh parsley for some color.
  • Garlic butter – You can buy it or make your own by adding fresh minced garlic to butter.
  • Grated cheese. You can use Edam cheese, mozzarella, cheddar… If you want to use grated parmesan cheese, use half the amount or mix it with another cheese.
  • Flaky sea salt for topping.
cheesy bread roll.

Equipment

You will need an 8x8inch baking dish or one of a similar size.

  • A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. If you don’t have one, this can be made by hand too.
  • Kitchen scale. There are cup sizes provided too but do take note that they are US-sized cups. These are smaller than metric. For best results use scales.

Method

  1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into a bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, if using instant yeast this sitting step can be skipped.
parsley, egg and flour in a bowl.
  1. Add in the flour, salt, parsley and egg. Fit the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix on low speed to form a thick dough.
dough on dough hook.
  1. Add in the softened butter, a few cubes at a time, and increase the speed of the mixer to medium.
sticky dough on dough hook.
  1. Keep mixing on medium speed for around 8 minutes until the soft dough is smooth and strong and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
dough rising in a bowl.
  1. Once kneaded, form the dough into a smooth ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased medium bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a dampened dish towel.

Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around about 1- 1 1/2 hours. The exact rise time will depend on your room temperature.

If making overnight garlic butter dinner rolls, the dough can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.

Shaping

  1. Pull the risen bread dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour. If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.
  2. You can let it warm up to room temperature for 10 minutes first before rolling.
dough spread with butter.
  1. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle that measures around 9x12inches (23cmx30cm) – Spread the surface of the dough with 80g of the softened garlic herb butter.
cheese on dough.
  1. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
  2. Roll it up from the long end to make a 12inch/30cm long log. Cut 9 equal pieces, using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife.

Second rise

bird's eye view of parsley flecked dough.
  1. Place the rolls into a lined 8×8 baking pan.
risen scrolls with cheese.
  1. Let the rolls rise in a warm spot until about doubled in size.

Baking

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. 
  2. Bake the buns for around 25 minutes until deep golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls with aluminum foil.
  3. While the buns are baking, melt the remaining garlic butter.
  4. When the rolls come from the oven, use a pastry brush to brush the tops with melted butter.  Sprinkle with a little flaky salt.
a brush with garlic butter on bread rolls.

Serving and storing

These buttery dinner rolls are best served warm.

If you’re not serving the rolls straight away, hold off from adding the remaining butter and flaky salt. When it’s time to serve, reheat the buns in the oven for around 10 minutes. Melt down the remaining butter again and coat the tops of the rolls.

Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

side view of a tray of buns.

More bread recipes

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garlic butter rolls close up.

Cheesy Garlic Butter Rolls

Yield: 9
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

These deliciously soft cheesy garlic butter rolls are spread with garlic butter and filled with cheese.

Ingredients

  • 160g (2/3 cup) milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 12g (1 Tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 312g (2 ½ cups*) all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 45g (3 Tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature

filling

  • 113g (1/2 cup) garlic butter (or mix 2-3 cloves minced garlic with softened butter)
  • 80g (1 cup) grated cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, edam...)
  • Flaky salt, to serve

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into a bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, if using instant yeast this waiting step can be skipped.
  2. Add in the flour, salt, parsley and egg. Fit the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix on low speed to form a thick dough.
  3. Add in the softened butter, a few cubes at a time, and increase the speed of the mixer to medium. Keep mixing on medium speed for around 8 minutes until the soft dough is smooth and strong and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
  4. Once kneaded, form the dough into a smooth ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased medium bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a dampened dish towel.
  5. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around about 1- 1 1/2 hours. The exact rise time will depend on your room temperature. The dough can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours if you make overnight garlic butter dinner rolls.

Shaping

  1. Pull the risen bread dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour. If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff. Let it warm up to room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
  2. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle that measures around 9x12 inches (23cmx30cm) - Spread the surface of the dough with around 3/4 (80g) of the softened garlic butter.
  3. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
  4. Roll it up from the long end to make a 12-inch/30cm long log. Cut into nine equal slices using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife.
  5. Place the rolls into a lined 8x8 baking pan.
  6. Let the rolls rise in a warm spot until about doubled in size.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
  8. Bake the buns for around 25 minutes until deep golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls with aluminum foil.
  9. Melt the remaining garlic butter while the buns are baking.
  10. When the rolls come from the oven, brush the tops with melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt.

Notes

*The cup sizes are US size which is smaller than metric. For best results, use scales.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 340mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 10g

This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist

© Elien
Category: Bread

I'm Elien, a lover of all things cooking, baking, and butter! I am a self-taught baker, author, and foodie. You will find me spending most of my days either recipe testing in the kitchen, photographing food in my living room, or out in the garden. I'm so happy to have you here!

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