Buttery, garlicky, cheesy garlic-Parmesan rolls pair perfectly with pasta, lasagna, or your favorite chicken parm recipe.
These buttery garlic-Parmesan rolls will steal the show at your next dinner.
I’ve been very into baking lately, and learning a new skill has been so exhilarating! Baking, in particular, is exciting because it feels like the Big Bang every single time. A simple combination of yeast, flour, sugar, and a few other small ingredients can transform into fluffy, savory rolls. I don’t know how to explain it. Cooking is cooking. At least when it comes to the simple dinner recipes I often share. You add ingredients together, and they taste good together, and that’s that. With baking, I think because so much happens at a molecular level, it’s very satisfying to see a humble bowl of flour and yeast turn into beautiful garlic-Parmesan rolls. It blows my mind every time.
How to make Garlic-Parmesan rolls
The recipe starts with my Never Fail Rolls recipe.
What you need
- Yeast: You’ll need one packet of active dry yeast. Don’t use rapid-rise yeast!
- Butter: Originally, I used shortening in the Never Fail Rolls. For these rolls, I switched to butter, and they were delicious! It worked well with the garlic butter topping. You can use shortening in the dough instead if you prefer.
- All-purpose flour: The original recipe calls for bread flour, but I usually only have all-purpose flour in my pantry. Bread flour has a higher protein content, producing airy, chewy rolls, while all-purpose flour gives soft, fluffy rolls. You can use either flour at a 1:1 ratio.
- Garlic butter topping: You need butter, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and dry parsley. You can use freshly minced garlic and parsley, but I wanted to keep this simple.
- Flaky sea salt: I finish the rolls with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt because it makes everything better!
How to make them
- Step 1: Start by dissolving the yeast in lukewarm water. I recommend taking the temperature of your water to ensure it’s somewhere between 100ºF and 110ºF. If it’s not warm enough, it won’t activate the yeast. If it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast. If using a glass bowl, rinse it a few times with warm water to bring its temperature down, as the coldness of the bowl will immediately decrease the temperature of the water. Add warm water and check the temperature from there with an instant-read thermometer. If it isn’t at the right temperature, dump it out, adjust the tap, and try again. Add the yeast to the warm water and whisk to combine. Let stand as you prepare the dough.
- Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add the cold shortening, salt, and sugar.
- Step 3: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Pour it over the shortening and whisk until melted. Add an egg to the mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Step 4: Add the sifted flour and gently mix into the liquid until a soft dough forms.
- Step 5: Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 to 12 hours. You can allow the dough to rise in the refrigerator for the entire time, though I prefer to keep it at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Step 6: After the dough rises, remove the cover. Gently press the dough down and form it into a loose dough ball.
- Step 7: Lightly grease an 8×8 cake pan. Pinch a tablespoon-sized ball from the dough and roll it lightly in your hands. I recommend greasing your hands with shortening or butter as the dough is soft and sticky. Arrange the rolls in the baking dish. You should have 5 rows of 4 rolls.
- Step 8: Make the garlic-Parmesan butter sauce. Whisk together the ingredients for the garlic butter sauce and set aside.
- Step 9: Brush the garlic-Parmesan butter sauce over the rolls. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan once midway through baking to ensure even browning. If you used fresh garlic, I recommend brushing the rolls with the sauce during the last five minutes of baking to prevent the fresh garlic from burning.
Allow the rolls to cool slightly before turning them onto a serving platter or into a bread basket. Break them apart into individual rolls and enjoy them while they’re warm and fresh out of the oven!
How long do homemade garlic-Parmesan rolls keep?
Because of the cheese and butter, these garlic-Parmesan rolls should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the garlic-Parmesan dinner rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow them to cool completely before transferring to the freezer.
Garlic-Parmesan Rolls
Buttery, garlicky, cheesy garlic-Parmesan rolls pair perfectly with pasta, lasagna, or your favorite chicken parm recipe.
Print
Pin
Share on Facebook
Servings: 20 rolls
Calories: 118kcal
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm water (between 100ºF and 110ºF)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (chilled and cut into cubes; see Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
Garlic-Parmesan butter:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley (see Note 2)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (see Note 2)
- Pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
Dissolve the yeast:
- Add the yeast to the lukewarm water. Let stand as you prepare the dough.
Prepare the dough:
- Place the cold butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Boil the water:
- Place 1 cup of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and pour the boiling water over the cold butter. Whisk to dissolve the butter, sugar, and salt into the water.
Finish the dough:
- Add the egg and dissolved yeast to the mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add the sifted flour and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate the flour until a soft dough forms.
Rise the dough:
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate. Let the dough rise for 2 hours on the counter or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. See Note 3.
Make the rolls:
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly grease an 8×8 cake pan.
- Remove the cover from the mixing bowl and gently punch down the dough to form a loose dough ball. Grease your hands with butter or shortening and begin pinching off the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Add them to the cake pan. You should have 4 rows of 5 rolls. It’s okay if the rolls touch.
Make the garlic-Parmesan sauce:
- Melt ¼ cup butter in a saucepan or the microwave. Once melted, add the Parmesan cheese, dry parsley, and garlic powder.
- Brush the garlic-Parmesan butter over the rolls. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
Bake the rolls:
- Transfer the rolls to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Midway through baking, rotate the pan to brown the rolls evenly. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them stand for 5 minutes.
To serve:
- Take the rolls from the cake pan and break them into individual rolls. Transfer them to a serving plate or a bread basket. Enjoy!
- You can store the garlic-Parmesan rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
Note 1: The cubes don’t have to be any particular size. It helps the butter melt faster under the boiling water. You can cut the butter into small cubes or tablespoon-sized pats. You can also leave the butter whole, but it takes a little longer to melt.
Note 2: You can use 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of freshly minced parsley instead of dry herbs if preferred. If using freshly minced garlic and parsley, brush them on the rolls during the last 5 minutes of baking to avoid burning the minced garlic.
Note 3: You can allow the dough to rise in the refrigerator for the entire time, but I prefer it to rise on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 177mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.002mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!
