Photography: Con Poulos | Styling: Lucy Busuttil
One of my favourite things in the world is a cheese and bacon roll. My very first job was at Baker’s Delight (behind the counter rather than in the bakery), and I still remember vividly the smell of freshly baked cheese and bacon rolls coming out of the oven. It remains one of my favourite treats when I’m at the shops. I’ll pick one up, hoping it’s still warm from the oven.
The good news is it’s surprisingly achievable to make cheese and bacon rolls at home. You can easily adjust the size depending on what you need. For mini rolls, simply divide the dough into smaller portions before shaping. During testing, I found the trickiest part was actually loading the cheese and bacon mixture onto the risen rolls before baking. Giving the tops a gentle pat to slightly flatten them made all the difference. It saved me from rescuing stray bits of topping from the tray and trying to pile them back on.
Shortcut bacon works best here as it has less fat, and mixing the grated cheese and bacon together in a bowl before it goes on top of the rolls creates a more even coating. You could use this base recipe to make a wide range of different savoury-style rolls. A little sprinkle of dried Italian herbs in the cheese and bacon mixture is delicious, or you could try spreading a little tomato paste on the base of the roll before loading for a pizza style.
The hardest part of all? Not tearing into them straight out of the oven. Not only will you burn your hands, but like most breads, they benefit from resting for 10–15 minutes before you dig in. The extra wait is worth it!
Ingredients
Method
Whisk yeast, water and sugar in a small bowl until the yeast dissolves. Cover and leave in a warm place for 10minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in butter, milk and yeast mixture. Knead in the bowl of a stand mixer for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in an oiled large bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place for one hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Divide dough into six balls. Flatten to 2cm thick. Arrange on prepared tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes or until risen.
In a small bowl, combine the cheddar and bacon. Gently press down on tops of risen dough buns to flatten slightly (this helps the cheese and bacon mix sit on top). Top each bun with a heaped tablespoon of bacon mix.
Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Set aside for 15 minutes before serving. They’re best eaten the same day they’re baked.
Cook’s tips
Always check your yeast is in-date before making bread dough.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
