Ham and Cheese Rolls with Garlic Butter

5 from 2 votes

Ham and Cheese Rolls with Garlic Butter

These pillowy soft homemade Ham and Cheese Rolls are slathered with garlic butter and baked until golden perfection! The perfect breakfast or brunch recipe for any special occasion!

Prep Time1

Cook Time50

Rise time3

Total Time4 50

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 635kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

Ingredients

Rolls

6 ⅓ cups all purpose flour 862 grams
5 tablespoons granulated sugar 62.5g
1.5 tablespoons kosher salt 19.8g
4.5 teaspoons instant yeast 16.2g
2 large eggs room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons whole milk warmed to 120°F (345ml)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Garlic Dijon butter filling

8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard optional but recommend
5-6 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced (optional)

For filling & topping

10-12 ounces ham thinly sliced
8 ounces low-moisture part skim mozzarella freshly grated
1 large egg room temperature, whisked

Garlic butter topping (to serve)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-4 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons parsley minced (optional)

Instructions

Make the dough

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan really well. Whisk flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
6 ⅓ cups all purpose flour, 4.5 teaspoons instant yeast, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a separate large bowl, whisk together the two eggs and an egg yolk.
2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk
Gently heat milk and butter to between 115-120°F. Whisk to combine. Combine the eggs, milk, and butter, whisking until smooth.
1 ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons whole milk, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until smooth. This just helps the mixer out a little bit and gets the process going. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, it's until it's soft, pliable, and no longer clings to the sides of the bowl. The dough should pass the windowpane test, and that's how you know it's ready.
Roll the dough into a smooth ball shape, then place it seam side down into a clean bowl with oil. Rub the top with a bit of oil, then cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
The dough is ready to roll and shape once it has doubled in size, and leaves an indent where pressed.

Garlic Dijon butter filling

Combine softened butter, Dijon mustard, some of the salt, parsley, and garlic in a bowl and mix until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 5-6 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Fill the rolls & bake

Roll the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14 inches by 18 inches.
Spread the Dijon garlic butter evenly over the top of the dough using an offset spatula. Lay down a thin layer of ham over top of the butter filling, followed by cheese spread evenly.
10-12 ounces ham, 8 ounces low-moisture part skim mozzarella
Cut the dough into 12-16 roughly equal sized strips using your preferred method. We like to use a pizza cutter to roll them individually.
Add the rolls to a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. It will be a snug fit! Cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the egg wash, and preheat the oven to 350°F. When the rolls have risen and are puffy, brush the tops with the egg wash.
1 large egg
Bake until golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches at least 190°F. This should take 45-55 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter topping. (If the rolls begin to brown too much while baking, you can tent them with aluminum foil to prevent burning after about the 30 minute mark.)

Garlic butter topping

While the rolls are baking, combine butter, garlic, and a bit of salt in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes, until the garlic has infused into the butter. Stir in the parsley.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2-4 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2-3 tablespoons parsley

Serve

Drizzle the baked rolls with the garlic butter, and serve!

Notes

Test the yeast. Before beginning, if your yeast has been sitting around for a while, and you're not sure if it's still good or not, we'd recommend testing it for freshness.

Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale. Not only does this mean fewer dishes for you, but it also means a much more accurate result.

Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the milk isn't too hot. It's important that the milk and butter mixture is right around 115-120°F before combining it with other ingredients. If the milk is too warm, the heat will kill the yeast.

Knead the dough until it's really soft. Make sure it passes the windowpane test before moving on to ensure you get the softest, fluffiest rolls. It can be tempting to add more flour if your dough is sticky in the beginning, but wait it out, and knead the dough for at least a full 7 minutes before adding more flour!

Don't rush the rise. The dough needs proper time to develop flavor and texture. The dough is ready when it's doubled in size, and when you press lightly, it leaves an indent where you pressed it.

Don't let the dough rise for too long, either. Otherwise, the yeast will expend all of its energy before baking, which won't allow it to rise anymore when in the oven.

Nutrition