Dinner Roll or Afternoon Bun?
Well friends, I’m here with another recipe for rolls using my Milk Bread recipe as the base and I think it’s worth discussing why I continually come back to this recipe. I bake a lot of breads, all different kinds. Bread is never an afterthought in my meals. If I’m serving bread, I think about what kind works with what else is on the menu and I want it to be the best I can possibly make because I think great bread can make or break a meal.
After years of trying out all kinds of recipes, if a soft dinner roll is called for, I don’t even think about making anything other than Milk Bread . It has everything I want: fluffy, buttery, soft, and stays fresh for several days. What more can you ask?
This time around I wanted a dinner roll with some oomph. In other words, I wanted something more than a plain roll. And I wanted to make a roll that I would also enjoy eating as an afternoon bun if the mood should strike. I don’t know if you’ve ever tasted quince paste/membrillo .* It’s classically served on a cheese board as an accompaniment to manchego for good reason, because it is absolutely delicious. I’ve also used it in an Ottolenghi quiche recipe that was excellent.
So, I got the idea for stuffing it into each roll. I also had some really good creamy blue cheese and couldn’t imagine that its flavor wouldn’t be wonderful with the quince. How could this not be a good combination?
I cut the quince paste * into cubes, did the same with the blue cheese, and placed them in the center of a flattened piece of dough. When I tried to pinch the dough around the cubes, I ran into a problem. This dough is soft and the edges of the cubes of quince paste * and cheese were breaking through the dough. So, I then cut up the quince paste * into smaller pieces and crumbled the cheese: problem solved!
After they rose, I popped them in the oven and couldn’t wait to see how these turned out. I always slather a little salted butter on top of the rolls when they come out of the oven and this time I just couldn’t wait for them to cool. So, with butter dripping down my hand I pulled apart one of these rolls and tore it open. The quince was softened and the cheese had melted. You can probably easily imagine how good these are.
I had used half my Milk Bread recipe, which makes one pan of rolls. I was going to make plain rolls with the other half, but nope. These were so good that I turned right around and made another pan. Knowing these would freeze well, I had no problems with leftovers, although milk bread will stay fresh tasting for at least a couple of days.
The possibilities are almost endless as to what you can do with Milk Bread dough. I’m going to a Halloween party tomorrow and I’m bringing 24 small sandwiches that I’ll make using small milk bread rolls. They make fantastic sandwich rolls. Keep that in mind for Thanksgiving. My recipe makes 2 pans of rolls, so you can serve them with your dinner, and with the leftovers you’ll have excellent turkey sandwiches. As I said in the beginning, if a perfectly soft dinner roll is what you’re going for, I don’t think it gets any better than Milk Bread .
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Cheese and Quince Dinner Rolls
8
servingsSoft and fluffy milk bread rolls are filled with quince paste/membrillo and blue cheese before baking. What you end up with is a fantastic bun with a salty/sweet filling that's perfect for accompanying dinner or as an afternoon snack.
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Ingredients
113 grams - 4 ounces - creamy blue cheese - I used Point Reyes Original Blue, divided into 8 equal chunks
113 grams - 4 ounces - quince paste ,* sliced into 8 equal cubes, each cube then diced
1 large egg for egg wash
1 tablespoon room temperature water
1 tablespoon softened salted butter
Directions
- Follow the recipe for Renée’s Milk Bread through Step 4. Divide the dough in half. You will only use half the dough for this recipe. You can double the filling ingredients and make 2 pans of rolls with all the dough, or you can make plain rolls, a loaf, or try my Blue Cheese and Fig Stuffed Milk Bread with the other half. Remember that these breads freeze very well, so you can bake them and have them on hand for whenever you get a hankering.
- Gently deflate the dough and using half the dough, divide it into 8 equal pieces on a lightly oiled surface. Pat out each piece into a rough 4 to 5 inch circle. Using one chunk of cheese, roughly crumble it into the center of the circle of dough, followed by one diced cube of quince paste .* Bring the edges of the dough together, pinching them shut, turn seam side down and cupping your hand over the top of the roll, gently shape it into a round ball by rotating it in a circular motion. Please watch the video and you’ll easily understand what I’m describing here.
- Preheat the oven to 350° with a rack in the center. Place the rolls seam side down in a well oiled or buttered 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. The pan needs to have 2 inch high sides. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, place in a warm spot in your kitchen, and let rise for about 45 minutes or until the tops of the rolls have risen about a half inch above the rim of the pan. They will be very puffy. Stir together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water and brush over the tops of the rolls.
- Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 28 - 30 minutes - until they’re beautifully browned. Remove to a wire rack and immediately run a sharp knife around the inside perimeter of the pan in case the rolls have stuck in any spots. Spread the tops of the rolls with the softened butter and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the rolls from the pan and let cool on the rack, serve, and Enjoy!