WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
These rosemary gruyere dinner rolls are impossibly soft, delightfully cheesy, and destined to disappear within minutes of hitting the table.
Jump to:
Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
When I was a kid, my favorite Thanksgiving item was the bread rolls. My sister and I always compare how many rolls we ate, seeing who indulged a bit more. Heck, even as an adult, it's still one of my favorite sides, although now I also love bruleed cauliflower with chorizo breadcrumbs, creamy mushroom gratin, and shaved and roasted Brussels sprouts salad. Well, this year I'm going to skip the store-bought rolls and make them from scratch.
Call me ambitious or crazy, but either way, I know these rosemary gruyere dinner rolls will be a hit. They're incredibly soft with the perfect hint of rosemary and a little salty goodness from the gruyere. I think I'm going to have to make rolls from scratch every year now. They're just too good!
Ingredients
- Bread flour: Its higher protein content (compared to all-purpose flour) develops more gluten when kneaded, creating a stronger dough that can support the cheese and hold its shape.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and tenderness to the dough. I used unsalted butter for this recipe. If you're using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the dough.
- Rosemary: The fresh rosemary infuses the dough with a subtle pine-like, earthy taste. I recommend using fresh rosemary, not dried rosemary, for the best results.
- Gruyere: Adds a nutty, slightly sweet, and complex savory flavor throughout the rolls. Its relatively firm texture when grated also helps it distribute evenly without making the dough too wet.
- Maldon salt: Provides finishing flavor and textural contrast.
Substitutions and variations
- Cheese: Try this bread with a different cheese, such as Parmesan or sharp cheddar.
- Add-ins: You can add other flavors, such as roasted garlic, chopped caramelized onion, or sesame seeds.
Recipe
Rosemary Gruyere Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk, 100-110 degrees F (313 ml)
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (8 grams)
- 4 ½ cups bread flour (563 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter, softened at room temperature (75 grams)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup grated gruyere (110 grams)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (28 grams)
- ½ teaspoon Maldon salt
Instructions
- Combine the milk with yeast and let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is activated and the mixture is foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, sugar, salt, egg, and butter. Add the yeast mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add rosemary and grated gruyere and knead for 7-8 minutes or until smooth. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 18 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and arrange them in the prepared pan into 3 rows of 6 rolls. Cover the pan and proof for 30 minutes.
- Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, and sprinkle Maldon salt. Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make dough
So you're probably thinking that making dinner rolls from scratch seems like an unnecessary hassle. But let me tell you. There's a significant difference between store-bought rolls filled with preservatives that have been sitting on the shelves for days, compared to fresh ones. Whether it's Thanksgiving or not, I will gladly make these rosemary gruyere dinner rolls for any meal.
To make the rolls, start by making the dough. We're going to use ingredients like milk, egg, and butter to add more flavor and fat to the dough. The result? Incredibly soft rolls.
When the dough starts to come together, add the chopped rosemary and grated gruyere. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes.
This recipe is very adaptable, so if you don't like rosemary or gruyere, omit it or swap it for something you do like! You can skip the herbs and cheese and make plain rolls, or mix it up and use roasted garlic, caramelized onion bits, everything bagel spice mix, the world is your oyster!
Step 2: Shape dough
Let the dough proof for one hour or until doubled in size. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this could take longer than one hour.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 18 rolls. I use a scale to measure out the rolls, making sure they are all the same size.
Arrange the rolls in 3 rows of 6 rolls in the greased baking pan. Don't worry if they're touching in the pan. In fact, I did a little experimenting and baked one set of rolls in a baking sheet, spacing them out, and another set in a baking pan where they were touching.
The rolls that were spaced out were not as tender as the ones that were touching. Is the secret to great rolls? Perhaps.
Step 3: Bake
After about thirty minutes, the rolls should be done proofing. Pop them in the oven and bake until golden brown on top, about 30-35 minutes.
Remove the rosemary gruyere dinner rolls from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter, and sprinkle flaky Maldon salt. The butter helps create a lovely sheen and adds extra goodness, so don't skip this step!
As soon as I started to separate the rolls, I was dancing with glee because I knew they would be perfect. The texture was exactly what I wanted: soft and fluffy. The hints of rosemary and gruyere didn't overwhelm the bread, and the sea salt on top added the perfect little salty crunch.
I think these might be my most successful dinner rolls yet!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: After the first rise, you can punch down the dough, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature before shaping, then proceed with the recipe.
- Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour, but bread flour is preferred because its higher protein content creates a chewier, more structured roll. If using all-purpose flour, your rolls may be slightly softer and less sturdy.
No, you can knead by hand, but it will take about 10 minutes of kneading to develop the gluten properly. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Yes, you can freeze them either before or after baking. To freeze unbaked rolls, shape them, arrange them in the pan, cover tightly, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let proof at room temperature before baking. For baked rolls, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 300°F oven.
More bread roll recipes
Looking for more bread roll ideas? Try these:
Lauren says
These look great! I'm going to try them tomorrow. Do you think they would freeze well?
Cherry on My Sundae says
Yes, they do! I've tried freezing them after they've cooled and they still taste great when you defrost them.
Charles says
Really great flavors with the perfect amount of rosemary. They were so soft just like you said too!
Christine Ma says
So glad you enjoyed them!