Garlic Butter Parmesan Rolls

• portions: 9 servings
• temps actif: 2 hours
• temps total: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingrédients

1/2 cup whole milk, lightly warmed

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or instant yeast

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and lightly cooled

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 heads of garlic, tops cut off to expose the individual cloves

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably thick-cut

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

Instructions

For the dough: Make sure the milk is warmed up to around 110°F. I like to place my cold milk in a microwave safe vessel and microwave it for 45-50 seconds, it should be warm (if yours is too hot, set aside until it cools down and reaches desired 110°F temperature). In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the warmed milk, sugar, and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let mixture sit, undisturbed, for 7-10 minutes for the yeast to activate (when using active dry yeast)- the mixture will be bubbly and fragrant. *If using instant yeast– no need to wait for the mixture to bloom, proceed directly to the next step.

Next, add in the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, flour, and salt. Place the dough hook attachment onto stand mixer and knead on medium speed until the dough begins to come together, about 6-8 minutes. Look for the dough to be smooth. If your dough is sticking to the sides/bottom of bowl, add in a tablespoon more of flour, only if needed. Alternatively, if you are not using a stand mixer- you can knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and then a clean kitchen towel/linen- let the dough rise in a warm environment until it doubles in size, about 1-2 hours or longer depending on the temperature of your environment.

Meanwhile, as the dough is proofing- let’s roast the garlic for the filling. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and discard the papery outer portion of each garlic bulb. In a small baking vessel lined with foil, add in the garlic bulbs, cut side up. Drizzle the oil all over the bulbs of garlic to coat, then tent the garlic with the foil to enclose. Roast the garlic for 30-40 minutes or until the cloves are golden brown and tender when pressed. Allow the heads of garlic to cool down enough for you to handle with your hands without burning yourself. Then use a small paring knife to pull the cloves out or use your hands to gently press the cloves of garlic out of their skins- then set aside.

Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface work area. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 13×8 inches, now let’s prepare the filling.

For the filling: Place the roasted garlic cloves into a food processor or blender. Pulse together until the garlic cloves form a paste-like consistency. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a slight margin around the edges. I like to use my hands (use disposable gloves, if desired) to do this part. Then spread on the roasted garlic paste/mixture, followed by the chopped parsley, and salt/pepper. Lastly, evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the dough and use your hand to gently pat it into the mixture.

Rolling the dough: Roll up the dough into a tight log starting from the longest side with the seam side down. While in log position, use your hands to carefully stretch out the log, if needed. Then pinch the seam to nicely seal in the edges as much as you can. I like to trim off a bit of the ends on both sides of the dough because they are not as full in size as the other sections- totally optional.

Cutting the dough: Use a large sharp knife or unscented floss (tied around your fingers) to cut the log crosswise into 9 individual pieces.

Line a 9×9-inch baking dish or any comparable vessel with a piece of parchment paper (this helps just in case any of the filling leaks out). Add the rolls into the baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel/linen, let the rolls rise again in a warm environment for another 1-2 hours or until puffy.

Baking the rolls: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap/towel and bake the rolls until lightly golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. While the rolls bake, prepare the topping.

For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and minced garlic together. Stir to fully combine and then set the topping aside.

When the rolls are done baking, immediately brush the rolls with the topping mixture. Garnish the rolls with more grated parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!