Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls
Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls are soft pillowy bread rolls. They’re amazing dinner rolls brushed with melted butter just right after taking them out of the oven. Then sprinkled fresh Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. You can’t just eat one especially when they’re hot. You need to make a big batch to share with family and friends.
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what is the secret ingredient to homemade bread
TIME! Is the secret ingredient to any good bread. The first thing to remember when making soft pillowy bread dough is the fermentation process. Yeast is added to the mixture for the dough to rise. When the yeast is activated it feeds on sugar in flour and then releases the carbon dioxide that makes the bread rise. And this process takes time. You can visit “Science of Bread” if you want to Geek out on yeast activity.
Patience is a virtue. In like manner, making bread at home requires patience but the result is always worth the effort. Of course, a little creativity is needed to produce a great-tasting and beautiful bread. In addition, you can use cheese, tomatoes, olives, ham, and sausages, if you want savory flavors. You can also make them as sweet as you want by adding fruit jams, cream cheese, creamy glaze, and the list goes on and on. For me, the difference between homemade and store-bought bread is the number of chemicals or artificial flavorings the manufacturers add to speed up the process of mass production. You have more control over what’s in your bread when you make them at home. Of course, it also tastes a lot better and is so much more economical.
See my Homemade Bread recipe. And find out how to measure your dry ingredients as close as possible if you would have used a weighing scale just in case you don’t own one.
ingredients notes
BREAD DOUGH:
- Bread flour. All-purpose flour works also. While bread flour has higher protein content which provides more elasticity to the dough that makes it ideal for making bread.
- Granulated sugar. Similarly to the brioche bread, these pull-apart rolls are slightly sweet.
- Instant dry yeast. If you’re using active yeast and not instant, make sure to bloom it first. Meaning adding water and sugar, and then waiting until the mixture is frothy before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Whole milk. Fat found in whole milk adds richness and creaminess significantly.
- Unsalted butter. To control the amount of salt, I prefer to use unsalted butter.
- Whole eggs. In baking, it’s recommended to bring eggs to room temperature because they blend more evenly and help the dough rise easily.
- Sea salt. It’s important to use salt because it helps brings out all the flavors.
PARMESAN TOPPING:
- Unsalted butter (melted)
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley for garnish
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how to make Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls
MAKE THE DOUGH:
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of bread flour, yeast, and sugar. Use a whisk and mix the dry ingredients. In a cup, add the cold milk, and place it in a microwave on high heat for one minute (95-100ºF). Make sure the milk is not too hot (body temperature). Pour the milk into the mixing bowl with the flour mixture. Whisk until smooth.
- Use a hook attachment to your mixer. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the rest of the flour (3 cups), butter, eggs, and salt. Continue mixing on low until well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the flour mixed in. Pour a teaspoon of olive oil if the dough sticks. Once the dough comes together, turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Mix for 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth and you see a “windowpane” (elasticity test).
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and form it into a ball. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for one hour or until double the size.
REST THE DOUGH:
- Meantime, grease a 9×13 baking pan and also line it with parchment paper.
- After an hour or so and the dough has doubled its size, remove the plastic wrap and punch it down to remove the air bubbles. Lightly dust a surface with flour. Divide the dough into two pieces.
- Place the other half back in a greased bowl and cover it to prevent drying while working on the other half of the dough.
- Now, for the dough that you’re working on, use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into equal parts about eight pieces.
- Work on them one at a time. Grab one piece and pull the sides of the dough to form into smaller rolls. Seam side down, and roll it on a surface with your hands in a counterclockwise motion.
- Place them in a prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 45 minutes until double the size. Make the eggwash, and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
MAKE THE PARMESAN TOPPING:
- Melt the butter and brush the rolls while hot. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley.
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Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls
Equipment
- Mixer with hook attachment
- Mixing bowls
- 9×13 baking pan
- Bench scraper or knife
Ingredients
FOR THE BREAD DOUGH
- 4 cups unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet of instant dry yeast
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup or one stick of unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, more to rub on top of the dough
FOR THE EGG WASH
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or water
PARMESAN TOPPING
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
MAKE THE BREAD DOUGH
- In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer, add one cup of bread flour, sugar, and yeast. Use a wire whisk to mix the dry ingredients. Add the warm milk, and continue mixing until no more lumps and the mixture is smooth.
- Place the hook attachment to the mixer and turn the speed on low. Gradually add the rest of the bread flour, salt, and eggs. Stop the mixer from time to time to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the softened butter, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 10-12 minutes or do the "windowpane test" (lets you see how strong and elastic your dough is).
- Grease a separate bowl, remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and form it into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and rub a teaspoon of olive oil on top to prevent it from sticking to the plastic wrap. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest the dough for an hour or until it doubles the size.
- Meantime, grease a baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- When the dough is ready and had doubled the size, dump it on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two pieces. Place one piece back into a bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel to prevent drying.
- Work the other half of the dough first and divide it into equal parts (about 8 pieces). Pull the sides and tuck them in to shape each piece to form a roll. Cup it on your hand and roll it on a surface in a counterclockwise motion. Place it in a prepared pan. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
- Rest the dough for 45 minutes before baking. Cover with a kitchen towel and wait until they double the size. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
MAKE THE EGG WASH
- In a bowl combine egg and milk. Stir until well combined and light in color. Use a pastry brush and brush each roll with egg wash before baking. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
PARMESAN TOPPING
- As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve warm.
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Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Make sure to come back to the blog post and give us star ratings and reviews. faq
Absolutely! Garlic is an amazing partner with Parmesan cheese. Either infused the oil with fresh garlic and brush the bread with it right after it bakes. Or use garlic powder.
This recipe is not as sweet as brioche. It’s more on the savory side. Brioche is like a dessert in my opinion.
You can make BBQ Pork Bun, loaf bread, or braided bread. You can also fill it with sweet stuff and turn it into dessert, like jams, cream cheese, or bean paste.
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Jen, a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. Surely, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. It’s important to realize that when you cook better you eat better.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t have to eat the same thing repeatedly. There are ways we can naturally enhance our food’s flavor and enjoy home-cooked meals.