Ultra soft bread gets filled with melty cheese inside. You will love these sweet cheese rolls for your snack, breakfast, or dessert.
Enjoying a rich, hot drink can be very comforting. And I think I am a late bloomer. But in the past years, I finally get how coffee lovers feel as they sip into a hot cup, savoring every slow gulp.
These sweet cheese rolls are the perfect companion for a nice cup of hot chocolate (or coffee). The sense of comfort that surrounds you like a blanket as you sip from a hot mug, a soft, warm bread in your hand, that can be hard to beat.
Filipino Style Sweet Cheese Rolls
These cheese rolls are spot on with the melty cheese nestled inside a soft, sweet bread dough. I love the sweetness and texture of the sprinkled sugar as I bite into the soft bread. I just can’t stop at one.
Tangzhong Method
This bread dough uses a starter called tangzhong. It is made with flour and water that you cook together to form a paste. It adds softness to your finished bread.
I have gotten a common question from a lot of you regarding the previous version of this recipe. This used to be an overnight dough. Understandably, not all of us have the luxury of time or the patience to make a recipe with an “overnight” step in it, so I tweaked the recipe a little to accommodate that.
No more overnight sitting here. Just cook the tangzhong briefly into a paste and allow it to cool. We all win!
Cheese
Again, another common complaint on the previous version of this recipe is that the cheddar cheese oozes out, leaving a hollow in the bread with a thin smear of cheese hanging on to the roof of the bread.
So we are changing that today. We are using cream cheese. It holds thru the baking. It remains inside the bread and you get more cheesy bites. Hail, oh cream cheese!
Characteristics of an Adequately Kneaded Dough
- It is still tacky but not sticky. As you knead, the stickiness of the dough diminishes. It turns from being a shaggy, loose dough into a smooth, clean-looking dough that no longer sticks to your hands or the board.
- It is stretchy. Pull out a little piece of dough, use your finger to stretch it out to form a small square. The dough should stretch thin enough for a translucent film to form in the center of the square. See windowpane test.
Making Sweet Cheese Rolls
Make the tangzhong: Whisk together flour and water in a small saucepan until the mixture is lump-free. Over medium heat, stir until a smooth paste is formed. This should not take long, about 45 seconds to a minute. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool.
Next, in a large mixing bowl, add the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy.
No thermometer? This water should be about two to three notches hotter from being lukewarm. You can dip your fingers quickly on it, but you cannot let it stay unlike when water is lukewarm.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the yeast mixture except the flour: the milk powder, the sugar, egg, salt, melted butter and tangzhong. Stir everything with a wooden spoon.
Add the 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour and stir it in until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Gradually add some of the remaining 1/4 cup of flour just until the dough gathers on the center of the bowl.
Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead. Add a little bit of flour as needed just to help with the stickiness. Don’t overdo it, though. The dough should not be stiff and dry, instead, it should be soft, smooth and elastic after kneading.
Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, place it in a bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for 1 and 1/2 hours.
Roll the dough into a 16×10 rectangle. Divide it into 4 sections vertically, then 5 sections horizontally to create 20 rectangles. It helps to score or mark the cuts first at the edges so you will get somewhat even portions of the dough.
Place strips of cream cheese into the edge of each rectangle. Roll each into a log. Pinch the edges together to close the rolls.
Place each roll onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Position them with about an inch of space in between. Cover the rolls loosely with a clean kitchen towel.
Let them rise for about an hour or more until the size is doubled. Preheat oven to 350 F. Once the temperature is attained, bake the rolls for 15-17 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden.
Once slightly cool, spread softened margarine on the rolls. Then, roll each of them on a plate of sugar.
There they are, fresh from the oven, glistening with sugar with warm cheese inside. Coffee time is just about to get started.
Storage
Place cheese rolls inside a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These bread stays soft until then. If you prefer, microwave them for 8 seconds to re-heat.
Do you love baking bread? Check out these other bread recipes:
- Japanese Milk Buns
- Milk Bread
- Yema Rolls
- Ube Bread Rolls
- Hawaiian Rolls
- Austrian Buchteln ( Sweet Mini Buns)
- Chocolate Walnut Bread
- Also, try serving these with Coffee Jelly. Perfect day!
- Bread Machine Pandesal
- Pandesal Recipe
Sweet Cheese Rolls
Ultra-soft bread filled with melty cheese, these sweet cheese rolls are so good fresh from the oven and stays soft for days.
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- 1/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
For the Bread Dough
- 3/4 cup warm water (105-115 F)
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp milk powder
- 1/3 cup plus one teaspoon sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup extra
For the Filling
- 20 strips cream cheese, or Filipino style processed cheese
For Coating the Cheese Rolls
- 1/4 cup softened margarine
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
In a small saucepan, combine flour and water. Stir until the mixture is lump-free. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is a paste and smooth, about 45 seconds to one minute. Transfer to a small bowl. Let cool.
Make the Bread Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Let this mixture stand sit for about 5 minutes, or until it is foamy.
- Add the tangzhong, the milk powder, the remaining sugar, the egg, melted butter, and salt. Stir the mixture using a wooden spoon until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the flour and stir it in until a loose, shaggy dough is formed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as needed just until the dough gathers into a soft ball in the center of the bowl. You may not need all of the remaining flour.
- Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. You can dust with a little flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking too much. Place it in a bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour and a half or so, until doubled in size.
- Gently punch down the risen dough. Roll the dough into a 16x10 inches rectangle. Divide it into 4 sections vertically, then 5 sections horizontally to create 20 rectangles. It helps to score or mark the cuts first so you will get somewhat even portions of the dough.
- Place strips of cheese into the edges of each rectangle. Roll each into a tight log. Pinch all the edges together to close the rolls. Place each roll onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Position them with about an inch of space in between. Cover the rolls loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let them rise for about an hour or more until the size is doubled.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Once the temperature is attained, bake the rolls for 15-17 minutes, or until the rolls are very lightly golden. Allow the cheese rolls to cool slightly. Using the back of a spoon. Spread softened margarine on the rolls. Pour the sugar on a wide plate. Roll the buns in the sugar to coat. Serve.
Notes
Storage- To store the cheese rolls, place them in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Making the Dough -During the mixing of the dough, You only add the extra 1/4 cup of flour just until the dough is gathered in the center. The dough should not be dry. Instead, it still has moist spots, a little loose but somewhat forming a mass.
Kneading-During kneading, you can dust with more flour as needed to help with the stickiness. Don't be tempted to add more, as it will dry the dough out and you will end with dry, tough rolls. I would say, 1-2 tablespoon maximum. The kneaded dough should be soft and elastic, not stiff and dry.
Need help with Kneading?- Watch How To Knead Bread Dough with Video.
Cheese- I used to use cheddar cheese here, but most of the readers commented that the cheese just melts completely and oozes out of the bread, with very little cheese left inside and a hollow on the bread. So, definitely suggest using cream cheese here, because it can withstand the baking and leaves lots of cheese inside.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 187Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
Thanks for the recipe! Used fresh milk and Bread flour! It was so good! Will try to experiment with both BF and APF the next time.
Thanks for the feedback, Garet! I am happy you loved them.
Hi! I forgot to make the overnight dough on the day of baking these rolls. Can I just chill the “overnight dough” for say, 8 hours? Will that be enough?
Hello Karla. Just chill the dough for atleast 4 hours in the fridge.
Hi! Everything about the dough is great. The only problem I had was that the cheddar cheese that I used just melted, and the bread turned out to be hollow in the center. Would you recommend to use processed cheese like Eden instead?
I’m comparing it to Mary Grace’s where the cheese stayed firm inside.
Thanks so much in advance!
Hello there! Yes, you can use Eden cheese or cream cheese. 🙂
Hi Sanna, when making my overnight dough, it wasn’t like paste but it was dry. I used 2/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup boiling water. What is wrong with it?
Hi Amy, just gradually add more water if the dough is too dry. But just add only enough until the dough is pasty:)
Hi. Any kind of milk powder will work?
Hello there! Yes any kind of milk powder:?
Hello Sanna Thanks for the wonderfull cheese roll recipe so good.
Just wondering do you have Pianono recipe?
Thanks
Hello there, Kriz! Thank you! I don’t have a pianono recipe but you can check out my friend’s pianono recipe at Kawaling Pinoy.
Hello,
What is the substitute for milk powder? Can i just use the regular milk? Also, if using instant yeast, can I just mix it with flour without proofing it? Thanks
Hello Marielle! Some people omit the milk powder and they seem to work out fine. Some substitute creamer powder too. If you want to use instant yeast, I would suggest to still follow the same instructions in the recipe 🙂 GOod luck and happy baking!
Hi, I’m about to try this coz I’ve been wanting to make cheese rolls for so long. But, just curious, why do we need the overnight dough? Can’t we just skip this part? Thanks!
Hi Mira! The overnight dough makes the dough softer. If you want, you can use pandesal recipe for this one and just fill it with cheese 🙂
Hello! We are in love with this bread! So much, in fact, that my son wants cinnamon rolls with this exact dough. Do you think this can be done perhaps by adjusting sugar levels? Or do you have a recipe that yields rolls this soft? I will appreciate your reply. My toddler is a bread monster! 😀 Thank you very much!
Hello Diane! You can adjust the sugar up to 2-3 tbsp more 🙂
Hi Sanna,
For my understanding, what is the overnight dough for? Thank you and all the best!
Earl
Hi Earl! The overnight dough will make the dough softer.
Can I use bread flour instead of APF?
Hello, Mel. Yes you can:)
HI Sanna! can i use instant yeast instead of active yeast?
Hi Jen! Yes you can but follow the same directions:)
Hi there this sounds really yummy! Just wondering, what does the overnight dough do? Is it like tangzhong? And how do you refrigerate it, wrapped in plastic? Or in a bowl to rise? Thanks so much!
Yes its like tangzhong. You just wrap it in plastic:)
with ECQ, I only have instant dry yeast available at home.. how to use this instead of active dry yeast? thanks!
Hello Mac! I strongly suggest you use it in the same manner as stated in the recipe:) Good luck!
Hi,Ms Sanna.
Thank you for this great cheese rolls recipe.
I would just like to ask why my cheese rolls were pale after baking?
I put butter and sugar as instructed.
Thanks!
Hello there! Were they soft? It could be underbaked/ under kneaded.
I do not have yeast whats the best substitute? Thanks.
Hello Catherine! Unfortunately, yeast is needed for the recipe and substituting it will not work.
I just bake this now taste like hotdog bun not what i expected but it’s okay they’re that bad. Half of the bread i put labneh and breakfast cream.
Should the overnight dough be at room temperature when I mix it with the other ingredients the next day?
Hello Jennifer! Yes, you can take it out of the fridge about 5-8 minutes before you are ready to make the dough. Good luck!
can i add mash potato powder for a feathery soft cheese rolls?
Hello Jude! I have not tested adding mash potato powder in this but that is worth a try:)
I am looking to make a good homemade recipe of cheese bread(rolls) like you would buy in the store. Instead of putting something inside could i use shredded cheese and put into the dough when rolling out and make a solid cheese roll?
Hello there! If you want the cheese to be on the bread itself, you can try the Cheddar Cheese Buns recipe, also here on the blog or the cheese loaf bread. I cannot recommend adding cheese to the dough as you need to put a lot before it can be substantial to flavor the bread.
Hi Sana, I love the soft dough of this bread. Thank you for sharing.
I have one problem though. The cheese melted inside and left a big hollow. I was hoping you can still bite into the cheese filling. Instead there is a hole in the middle of the bread. I sealed it well to avoid the cheese to leak out. I’m not sure what went wrong. Please advise. Thank you!
Hi Thessa! No problem at all there. The case with this is that the cheese is melty, and adheres to the dough within rather than staying firm. So you are definitely not doing anything wrong.
If you want the cheese to be more substantial rather than melty inside, use cream cheese 🙂 I hope that helps 🙂
I will try and see if low fat cheddar and/or park skim mozarella will work. I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks, Thessa! I appreciate that so much!
Please ignore previous question. I misread the recipe.
I hope you love these, Thessa!
Hi. What if i dont have powdered milk what can i use? Is it ok the fresh milk and how much do have to put? Thank you ..
Hello Mary Jane. You may add 2 tablespoons of warm milk to the dough. Add it at the same time as the melted butter. You may need to adjust by adding a bit of flour during kneading process to offset the moisture added 🙂 Good luck!
Hello, wondering the cup you mentioned is how many ml?Tks. And kindly waiting for your reply ASAP.
Hello. 1/3 cup woykd be about 70 ml. 3/4 cup will be about 175 ml. I still suggest younude the cup measurements
Can I use hot dogs instead of cheese?
Hi Dolores! Oh yes, you can 🙂