Cheese and garlic pull apart rolls

Long long ago, when I didn’t even know how to use the oven, I saw this beautiful pull apart bread on the Internet. The bread had everything l like, garlic, cheese(s), and herbs. With the Itlalian cuisine fanaticism, I thought there and then that one day I will make this.

So, the day came and I tried my hands at this beauty. Unfortunately, I don’t have a proper bread loaf till now (I am not a regular baker), so I decided to use my cake tin. So, instead of a pull apart bread, I made pull apart rolls. And, they turned out amazingly good. I think these rolls are my best bake till date. And, yes I served it with spaghetti made in bechamel sauce. Another treat to my tongue. 🙂

Dough Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp butter (softened either by keeping at room temperature or as I did, just micro it for 10 seconds J)
1 tsp garlic (pressed or very finely chopped)
3/4 cup milk for kneading further

Filling Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter (melted)
2 tsp dried herbs (I used a mix of parsley, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes
3-4 garlic cloves (pressed or very finely chopped)
3/4 – 1 cup of mixed cheeses (grated) (I had a mix of hard cheese, edam, parmesan, and mozzarella)
1 big onion (caramelized)

Preparing the dough:

In a small bowl, take 1/2 cup warm milk, and add the sugar and yeast. Stir to ensure yeast granules are mixed well. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. You will notice some bubbles, which is a sign of yeast at work. J
While the yeast is at work, take another bowl and add 3 cups of flour, softened butter, salt, garlic and then mix well.
Next, add the yeast mixture and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk.
Knead continuously until you get pliable dough. It will take 15-20 minutes.
Don’t fret if the dough looks sticky. Just be patient and knead it well and it shall be fine. Dust your hands with a little flour in case the dough is still sticky and continue kneading. But keep in mind, the more flour you add on top, the harder the bread.
Once you get the pliable dough, oil a big bowl and put the dough in it. Cover with cling film. Make sure the bowl is big enough because the dough will rise to double.
Set the dough aside in a warm place for 2 hours and let it rise. It should be doubled after 2 hours.
While the dough is rising, you can prepare the caramelized onions (Slice the onions very finely. In a pan, add 1tsp oil and roast the onions until brown and crispy. While they are roasting, add salt and a pinch of sugar).
Finally, after 2 hours we get onto the real fun; assembling the bread.

Assembling the Rolls:

Dust your counter top with flour. Take out the dough, degas it, and shape it into a square or a rectangle that is half an inch thick.
Brush it with the melted butter.
Now, evenly sprinkle the herb mix, top it with a layer of grated cheese and then the caramelized onions and garlic.
Press the filling gently into the surface, so that it doesn’t fall off while rearranging.
Slice the dough into long and equal strips. You can use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.
Stack the strips on top pf each other, with the filling side facing up.
Now, cut this stack of strips further into 6 equal pieces.
Take each piece and roll it to form a swirl, with filling side inside.
Grease the baking tin and sprinkle some flour in. Place the swirls next to each other.
Brush some oil on the swirls and cover them with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and leave them to rise for an hour.
Next, preheat the oven to 175C for 10 minutes. Bake the rolls for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and inside is cooked through (do the tooth pick test).
If the rolls turn brown too quickly, cover them with a foil, so that they don’t brown further and are cooked well inside.
And finally, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 20 minutes at least.
Your cheese and garlic pull apart rolls are ready! Remove from the tin and enjoy with some pasta.