Cheese Garlic Rolls – Easy 50-Minute Comfort Bake

Cheese garlic rolls are a soft enriched dough rolled around a garlic butter and mozzarella filling, then baked until the tops turn deep golden and the cheese bubbles at the seams. The payoff is a pull-apart roll that tastes like a garlic knot met a stuffed pizza crust, and it costs you about 50 minutes of active and oven time combined.

I build these around a single rise, not two. A 15-minute bench rest after kneading lets the gluten relax enough to roll flat, and the oven spring does the rest. The filling is deliberately dry: roasted garlic, softened butter, and low-moisture mozzarella. Wet fillings leak, and leaks burn into bitter black pools on the pan.

Numbers matter here. At 375F (190C), a 12-roll batch hits an internal temperature of 195-200F (91-93C) in 22-25 minutes. Pull them at 190F and you get gummy centers. Push past 205F and the crust dries out. That 15-degree window is the whole game.

About the Ingredients

3 1/4 cups (410g) bread flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting

Bread flour has 12-13% protein and gives the chew these rolls need. All-purpose works but produces a softer, less structured crumb; add 2 extra minutes of kneading if you swap.

1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons / 7g) instant yeast

Instant yeast goes straight into the dry mix, no proofing step. If you only have active dry, bloom it in the warm milk for 10 minutes first and expect a 5-minute longer rest.

1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)

110F (43C) is warm to the touch but not hot. Over 120F (49C) and you kill the yeast; under 95F (35C) and the rise crawls. 2% milk substitutes fine; oat milk works with a slightly denser crumb.

2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar

Sugar feeds the yeast and browns the crust. Honey substitutes 1:1 but darkens the crumb and adds moisture, so reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon.

1 large egg (50g), room temperature

Room-temperature egg emulsifies into the dough instead of curdling it. Out of time? Submerge the egg in warm tap water for 5 minutes.

3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted, for the dough

Melted butter adds tenderness and flavor. Salted butter works, but cut the added salt below to 1/2 teaspoon to compensate.

1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) fine sea salt

Salt controls yeast activity and strengthens gluten. Do not add it directly on top of the yeast; mix it into the flour first.

1 whole head garlic (about 10-12 cloves), roasted

Roast at 400F (205C) for 35 minutes until cloves squeeze out like paste. Jarred roasted garlic substitutes in a pinch, but use 2 tablespoons max or the flavor turns metallic.

4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened, for the filling

Softened, not melted. Melted butter runs out of the roll during shaping. If you only have cold butter, grate it on a box grater.

2 cups (226g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella

Low-moisture is non-negotiable; fresh mozzarella releases water and creates soggy centers. A 50/50 mozzarella-Parmesan blend adds sharper flavor and better browning.

1/4 cup (25g) grated Parmesan, for topping

Grate it fresh from a block. Pre-shredded Parmesan is coated in cellulose and does not melt or adhere as well to the butter glaze.

2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for the finish

Brush this on within 2 minutes of pulling the rolls from the oven so it soaks in. Dried parsley works at half the volume.

Tips & Tricks

Do not overfill the rolls

More than 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling per roll and the seams split during the bake, dumping cheese onto the pan where it burns.

Roast the garlic ahead

Roasted garlic keeps 5 days in the fridge covered in oil, so you can do that step on a Sunday and bake rolls on a Wednesday.

Keep the dough warm during the rest

A cold kitchen stalls the rise. Rest the covered bowl near a warm stove or in an oven with the light on.

• Check internal temperature, not just color: A digital thermometer in the center roll should read 195-200F (91-93C). Color alone lies when the tops brown early.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Roast the garlic

Slice the top quarter off the garlic head, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400F (205C) for 35 minutes until the cloves are soft and deep amber. Squeeze the cloves into a bowl and mash to a paste.

2. Mix and knead the dough

Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm milk at 110F (43C), the egg, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Knead 8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer on medium until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked; it should feel tacky, not sticky.

3. Rest the dough

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15 minutes at room temperature. It will not double, but it relaxes enough to roll without fighting back.

4. Make the filling

Mash the roasted garlic paste into the 4 tablespoons softened butter, then stir in 1 3/4 cups mozzarella and a pinch of salt. Keep 1/4 cup mozzarella aside for the top.

5. Roll and fill

Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12×16-inch (30x40cm) rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the garlic-cheese filling to within 1/2 inch of the edges, then roll up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam closed.

6. Cut and arrange

Cut the log into 12 equal rolls with a sharp serrated knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Arrange cut-side up in a buttered 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish, spacing them 1/2 inch apart.

7. Bake the rolls

Bake at 375F (190C) for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the cheese bubbles at the seams. The center roll should read 195-200F (91-93C) on a thermometer. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan over the tops at the 18-minute mark.

8. Glaze and serve

Brush the hot rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with parsley. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then pull apart and serve warm.

Delicious Variations

Pesto cheese rolls

Swap the roasted garlic butter for 1/3 cup basil pesto and keep the mozzarella; the bake time stays identical.

Spicy pepper jack rolls

Use pepper jack instead of mozzarella and add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the filling for a sharper, hotter roll.

Herb and feta rolls

Replace half the mozzarella with crumbled feta and add 1 teaspoon dried oregano; reduce the salt in the dough to 1 teaspoon.

How to Store Cheese Garlic Rolls

Frequently Asked Questions

Mix the dough tonight, roast the garlic while the oven preheats, and you have a pan of cheese garlic rolls on the table in under an hour. Weigh your flour, watch that internal temperature, and you will not need a second attempt. Stay sharp, stay solvent.

Cheese Garlic Rolls

Cheese garlic rolls bake up soft, buttery, and loaded with molten mozzarella and roasted garlic flavor in under an hour.

★★★★½ 4.8 (213 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings412 kcalCalories

Print RecipePin Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups (410g) bread flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons / 7g) instant yeast
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)
• 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (50g), room temperature
• 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted, for the dough
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) fine sea salt
• 1 whole head garlic (about 10-12 cloves), roasted
• 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened, for the filling
• 2 cups (226g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 1/4 cup (25g) grated Parmesan, for topping
• 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for the finish

📋 Instructions

1. 1Roast the garlic — Slice the top quarter off the garlic head, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400F (205C) for 35 minutes until the cloves are soft and deep amber. Squeeze the cloves into a bowl and mash to a paste.
2. 2Mix and knead the dough — Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm milk at 110F (43C), the egg, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Knead 8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer on medium until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked; it should feel tacky, not sticky.
3. 3Rest the dough — Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15 minutes at room temperature. It will not double, but it relaxes enough to roll without fighting back.
4. 4Make the filling — Mash the roasted garlic paste into the 4 tablespoons softened butter, then stir in 1 3/4 cups mozzarella and a pinch of salt. Keep 1/4 cup mozzarella aside for the top.
5. 5Roll and fill — Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12×16-inch (30x40cm) rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the garlic-cheese filling to within 1/2 inch of the edges, then roll up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam closed.
6. 6Cut and arrange — Cut the log into 12 equal rolls with a sharp serrated knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Arrange cut-side up in a buttered 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish, spacing them 1/2 inch apart.
7. 7Bake the rolls — Bake at 375F (190C) for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the cheese bubbles at the seams. The center roll should read 195-200F (91-93C) on a thermometer. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan over the tops at the 18-minute mark.
8. 8Glaze and serve — Brush the hot rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with parsley. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then pull apart and serve warm.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If your kitchen runs above 78F (26C), cut the rest time to 10 minutes so the dough does not over-proof and collapse.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American-Italian

Course: Bread

Nutrition (per serving): 412 kcal · 14g protein · 44g carbs · 20g fat

Written by Diego Ramirez

Diego covers personal finance and investing for freelancers and gig workers. His angle is practical money management for irregular income, from budgeting to tax basics.