Cheese Rolls With Zaatar (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup warm milk (125°F/52°C)
02 - 2½ teaspoons fast-acting dry yeast
03 - 2 tablespoons sugar
04 - 4 cups bread flour (approximately 500g)
05 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ Filling

08 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - ⅓ cup zaatar spice blend
10 - 2 teaspoons mild Aleppo style red pepper flakes
11 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
12 - 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese

→ Topping

13 - 1 egg, whisked
14 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# Instructions:

01 - Warm the milk to 125°F (52°C) 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 5 to 10 minutes.
02 - 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 15 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
03 - 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 5 to 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky, soft and pull away from the bowl while the mixer is running.
04 - 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 1 hour or more, depending on climatic conditions.
05 - Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
06 - 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 surface with a light sprinkle of flour. Flatten the dough and roll it out into a 12 by 16-inch rectangle.
07 - 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.
08 - Starting from the longer end of the rectangle, roll up tightly. Make sure to pinch and seal the edges well. Using a blunt knife, lightly mark 16 portions of equal size.
09 - 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.
10 - 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 30 minutes or more.
11 - Brush the whisked egg on top of rolls and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely brown on top. Remove rolls from oven and serve immediately.

# Notes:

01 - For active-dry yeast, allow longer proofing time before adding other ingredients.
02 - Go slow when adding flour to let it absorb the liquids properly, or you will end up using more flour and the rolls will not be moist.
03 - Check for gluten formation by doing the window pane test. If the dough doesn't stretch thinly without tearing, knead for additional time.
04 - 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.

Back