Instead of cinnamon and sugar, these Parmesan Cheese Rolls are stuffed with Italian herbs and cheeses…I dare you to eat just one!
I love to bake. From mixing flour and water together into dough…to shaping that dough…to watching that dough bake…to eating that warm bread fresh out of the oven. I love it all! Homemade cinnamon rolls are one of my favorites, and I found myself at the kitchen counter earlier this week making a batch for Christmas morning. I’ve decided that Santa delivers extra presents when I leave him homemade cinnamon rolls!
But as I was rolling up those cinnamon rolls, I got to thinking about the filling inside. Instead of cinnamon + sugar, what if I used savory ingredients instead? Say dried herbs and cheese. I knew I needed to try this idea out! I went with some dried Italian herbs as well as some Parmesan and provolone cheeses…after all, it’s Italian. And Italian flavors are always a huge hit in our house!
Parmesan Cheese Rolls
Guess what? These Parmesan Cheese Rolls totally worked! Instead of serving these for breakfast, I served them along with dinner. Heck, these rolls could’ve been dinner all by themselves. Heat up some marinara sauce for dipping, and you’ve got a tasty meal right there. Dinner and done! I mean look at the browned bits of cheese on top of these Parmesan Cheese Rolls!
As they were baking, the provolone cheese began to ooze out of the tops of the rolls. I wish I had the ability to take a time-lapse video inside of my oven because that would be amazing. Of course, if I had that video ability, I probably would’ve burnt my hand reaching in to grab one of these rolls while they were baking. Melty cheese is just impossible to resist!
Now that I’ve experimented with these Parmesan Cheese Rolls, I want to try this same thing using different cheeses and different herbs. What about pepperjack cheese or a good sharp cheddar? Oh, or what about using some smoked cheese like smoked gouda or smoked cheddar? Now we’re talking! Actually, now I need to go back to the kitchen and make another batch of these cheese rolls ASAP!
If you make a batch of these Parmesan Cheese Rolls, please come back and leave a comment. Better yet, snap a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Cheers, friends, and happy baking!
Love homemade breads? Check out some of my other favorites:
Cheesy Spinach and Sundried Tomato Focaccia
French Peasant Bread
Homemade Italian Bread
Sunflower Seed Bread
Goat Cheese and Tomato Focaccia
Parmesan Cheese Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup provolone cheese grated
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Using a countertop mixer, add bread flour, yeast and salt; mix until well combined.
- Add warm (not hot) milk, honey and olive oil; mix on low speed for 3 minutes. (Tip: Just heat milk in microwave or on stovetop until lukewarm, but not hot. The ideal temperature for yeast fermentation is 80°F-100°F.)
- Add egg and increase speed to medium; continue mixing for 4-5 more minutes.
- Transfer dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm spot for 60 minutes. (Tip: I often let dough rise in my oven with just the oven light on. Just make sure to remove the dough before preheating the oven!)
- Transfer dough to a well-floured countertop; roll dough into a 9”x12” rectangle.
- Using a mixing bowl, combine Parmesan, provolone, dried basil and dried oregano; stir until well combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the rolled dough.
- Starting with a long edge, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch seem to seal.
- Slice dough into 1½” thick pieces and place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Note: Place slices ~3” apart.)
- Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake rolls for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Cheesy carbs are my weakness, especially when they’re homemade. These would be dangerous around my house because I’d eat every single one on my own! Good thing it’s still the holidays so that would be acceptable :). Happy New Year!
Cheers to the cheesy carbs, Kelsie! I love baking bread, and I told myself I would spend the holidays baking a bunch of bread again for fun. That only sorta happened as these rolls were the only creation. But they were delicious indeed! There’s something so fun and relaxing about baking bread during the cold winter months. Happy New Year!
P.S. I was thinking about you yesterday when I was watching my LSU Tigers play out in Glendale. Hope it’s not too cold out there!
I’d much prefer these over sweet rolls, honestly, but that’s just me. Sometimes I make them with pesto, so it’s a no-brainer. But I like your combination of flavors and herbs. Happy New Year!
That’s a tough call for me, Mimi. I love cinnamon/sweet rolls, but I also love savory breads, too. I guess it just depends on my mood. These Parmesan rolls turned out really well, though…so tasty! Thanks so much, my friend, and Happy New Year right back at ya!
David, these look delicious! Savory snacks are my weakness. Love the cheeses, especially the crunchy bits on top. I think I’d stick my hand in the oven and grab a melty-cheese one too!
Thank you so much, Kelly! It was really difficult to wait until these rolls cooled before I dug in. 🙂 There’s just something about freshly baked bread and melty cheese!
Confession: Keith and I are 98% savory breakfast people…very rarely eating sweet baked goods even during holidays. So this savory version of ‘cinnamon rolls’ are right up our alley! Definitely need to try this recipe!!
No way! I must admit that I’ve got several sweet teeth, but I’m usually good about avoiding sweets for breakfast. (Well, that is unless it’s the holidays…) Fortunately baking those sweet rolls is what led to this experiment…and these Parmesan rolls are super tasty! Thanks so much, my friend!
David, I love baking bread as well. Maybe it’s because you add flour, water, and yeast and you create life (sort of). I’ve made more than one roll of this sort, but normally sweet. Your Parmesan Cheese Rolls look divine and I will be giving these a try. I also really like the thought of this as a mini-roll appy.
I’m right there with ya 100%, Ron! I love how you can take such simple ingredients and turn them into a wonderful golden brown loaf of bread. Baking bread is so therapeutic, and I especially enjoy it during the cold winter months! Definitely give these rolls a shot. Also, I like where you’re going with making these smaller and using ’em as a side dish/appetizer. I’m going to keep that in mind!
David, you should already know that savoury things do work in most situations, but I’m glad you didn’t hesitate to make these cheese rolls (However, wasn’t it you who made pizza rolls some time ago?) Indeed, you reminded me that I haven’t made savoury rolls for like 3 or 4 years. Hint for future savoury baking: try classic and tomato pesto as a filling too. Happy baking in 2019!
Ah, good memory, my friend! I did indeed make pizza rolls a while back. And I also made cheeseburger roll-ups not too long ago (although those weren’t really “rolls” per se). Either way, these rolls turned out really well, and they didn’t last long around here. Happy baking right back at ya for 2019, Ben! Cheers!
Hi David! OMG give me these and some marinara and I would be one happy camper!! I also love cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, but there certainly isn’t anything wrong with savory! I’ve been on a bread/roll grazing quest ever since Christmas. I must need carbs or I just love yeasty things! Happy new year my friend!
Hah! You sound exactly like Laura, Dorothy. The first thing Laura did when she saw this basket of rolls was go off in search of marinara sauce. 🙂 I love baking bread, and I especially love baking bread during the cold winter months. We’re off and running into January now, so I say let’s bake some bread…and rolls! Happy New Year, my friend!
They look delicious! I was just being asked by my oldest if we could make cinnamon rolls, but I said no because of the sheer volume of sugar they have eaten in the last week and a bit. This savory version sounds to be a good compromise!
Hah! Robbie definitely consumed his fair share of sugar over the holidays. We started working on getting back to normal habits yesterday, though…and it went surprisingly well. Maybe he was tired of the sugar treats, too! Either way, these savory rolls were a fun experiment, and the flavor was so good. Happy New Year, my friend!
Okay, I definitely don’t need a dare. Right off the bat, I’m telling you that I’d eat 10! That herbed cheese oozing out of that roll. YUM!
Wishing you and your family a very happy (& delicious) new year! 🙂
Hah! I’m right there with ya, Valentina. No dares needed for these rolls. There’s just something magical about freshly baked bread and melty cheese! Cheers to a great start to the new year, my friend! 🙂
Man, do these look good. I hope you served them with your tomato-orzo soup!
Hah! How did you know, Jeff? You’ve got a sneaky good intuition there!