Cheese Rolls With Zaatar
Serves 16
30 mins prep
20 mins cook
120 mins Resting Time
170 mins total
These zaatar bread cheese rolls are amazingly fluffy and delicious. They are great for brunch, breakfast or a treat. Easy to make and store, you will love these impressive rolls!
Dough
Filling
Topping
Make Dough
Warm the milk to 125° Fahrenheit and pour into stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Scatter the yeast over milk, followed by a sprinkle of sugar and let it rest in a warm dark place until the yeast foams up, about [timer minutes=5]5 to 10 minutes[/timer].
Add 3½ cups bread flour, remaining sugar, extra virgin olive oil, eggs and salt. Combine at low speed to form a sticky mass. Let it rest for the flour to absorb the moisture and swell up, about [timer minutes=15]15 minutes[/timer]. Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Gradually add 2 tablespoons of bread flour at a time, giving the flour time to absorb the liquids. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for about [timer minutes=5]5 to 10 minutes[/timer]. The dough should be slightly sticky, soft and pull away from the bowl while the mixer is running.
Tip: Go slow to let the flour absorb the liquids, or you will end up using more flour and the rolls will not be moist. Check for gluten formation by doing the window pane test. If not, knead some more time.
Oil the dough and bowl lightly and cover with a moist towel or lid. Place it in a warm dry place and let it rise to double in bulk, about [timer minutes=60]1 hour[/timer] or more, depending on climatic conditions. I let it rise in an oven that has not been preheated.
Shape The Rolls
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape it into a smooth mass, tucking the loose ends underneath.
Dust a clean and smooth surface with a light sprinkle of flour. Flatten the dough and roll it out into a 12 by 16-inch rectangle.
Brush olive oil on the rolled out dough. Sprinkle zaatar, red pepper flakes and mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the oil layer. Then sprinkle parmesan cheese or feta cheese.
Tip: To make 2 variations, slice the rolled dough into two halves. Then top one half with ½ cup parmesan cheese and the other half with ½ cup feta cheese.
Starting from the longer end of the rectangle roll up tight. Make sure to pinch and seal the edges well. Using a blunt knife, lightly mark 16 portions of equal size.
Slide a string of dental floss under the log of dough and position it with the first marking. Holding one end of the floss in each hand, pull the two ends across each other to cut through the dough quickly. Repeat with rest of the dough log, cutting it into a total of 16 pieces, along the markings.
Place the rolls over a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spiral side down, spacing them apart by at least 2 inches to give enough room to rise. Allow the rolls to rise until double in size, about [timer minutes=30]30 minutes[/timer] or more.
Topping and Bake
Brush the whisked egg on top of rolls and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake for [timer minutes=15]15 to 20 minutes[/timer] until nicely brown on top. Remove rolls from oven and serve immediately.