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I've been wanting to try this recipe forever..................
My son-in-law asked one day when we were talking about my blog, if I would run out of recipes to share. My daughter looked at him (like he might be a bit crazy) and said "How many times have we had the same thing to eat at mom's house?". He thought about it for a minute, then said "Oh, never mind!" You see, my crazy brain is always coming up with new ideas. I also have a huge arsenal of recipes, not only tried and true favorites, but tons that have been clipped, torn, copied or passed down............ I mean really, I could be cooking and blogging till the cows come home!
This Thyme & Cheddar Swirl recipe has been sitting in my must-try file for years now and today it caught my eye as I was putting together a meal for my family. I decided to give it a whirl and am so glad I did. The dough is quickly made in a food processor, sits for several hours in the fridge, requires no kneading and turns out fabulous, flaky dinner rolls. I made some honey butter to go along with them and it was the perfect combination. If you're looking for a fun, interesting twist on your daily bread, give these recipes a try!
Thyme & Cheddar Swirls
1 cup milk
⅓ cup sugar
2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 scant tablespoons)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
3 large egg yolks
Vegetable oil, for bowl
1 ½ cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese, about 4 ounces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or substitute about 1 tablespoon dried thyme or rosemary)
1 teaspoons ground pepper
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it registers 110˚ on an instant read thermometer; transfer to a bowl. Stir in sugar. Sprinkle with yeast; let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Process flour, salt, and butter pieces in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal (you can also do this by hand with a pastry blender or two forks). Add milk mixture along with the yolks; process until combined. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375˚. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to form a 15" x 18" rectangle. Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle half of dough evenly with cheese, thyme, and pepper.
4. Fold dough in half horizontally, bringing the non-cheese side over the cheese side. Roll out to form a 10" x 18" rectangle. Cut into 18-1" wide strips. Starting with a short end, roll each strip to form a spiral and place (cut side up) on a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, tucking end of strip under dough to secure and keep from unraveling.
5. Brush twists with egg wash. Bake until deep golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes.
Honey Butter
1 stick softened butter
¼ cup honey
Mix well to combine. I like to use small ramekins or pretty tiny bowls to serve the butter from.
Stephanie says
WOW is the word that comes to my mind when seeing this recipe...and the photo 😉 The perfect combination to a warm soup after a day outside. Yummy. Thanks for sharing...I'll try these for sure. Steph
Paula {Salad in a Jar} says
This is my style for sure. Your rosemary suggestion seems like a good one too.
The Mom Chef says
Oh my goodness! The photo alone is stunning so I can just imagine what the bread is like. I love being able to serve a roll that is more than your basic heat and serve. This is beautiful and sounds so delicious.
Sandra says
This one is going in my must try file.