Soft Homemade Garlic Rolls with Cheese and Parsley Butter
Some foods have a habit of disappearing much faster than expected, and warm homemade bread is definitely one of them. Add garlic butter and plenty of melted cheese and, well... the chances of having much left for later aren't particularly good. 😄
These cheesy garlic bread rolls have quickly become one of those recipes we can make for almost any occasion. They're soft and fluffy inside, cheesy throughout and have that lovely garlic and parsley butter flavour that you can smell before the tray even reaches the table.
We especially like them with a warm bowl of soup. Tomato soup is probably one of our favourites, but they're also brilliant alongside bean goulash or potato goulash, where you can tear off a piece and use it to mop up everything left in the bowl. That's usually when one roll somehow turns into two. 🧄🧀
But they certainly don't need a meal alongside them. Fresh and still slightly warm, they're a great little snack all on their own. Make a cup of tea, put on a good film and leave a few in the middle of the table to pick at. Simple, cosy and probably a little too easy to keep eating. 😄
They're handy outside the house too. Once cooled, you can pack a couple for work, take them on a picnic or bring them along for a day out. They don't need anything fancy with them and they're easy to portion because each roll simply pulls away from the others.
For us, though, they're best shortly after baking, when they're still warm, the bread is beautifully soft and the cheese hasn't had much chance to cool. Just give them a few minutes before pulling the first one apart – burnt fingers aren't technically part of the recipe. ❤️
📝 Ingredients
For the Dough
400 g flour
180 ml warm milk
40 g butter, melted
1 egg
20 g sugar
1 tsp salt
7 g instant yeast
A little oil for greasing
For the Garlic Parsley Butter
70 g butter, melted
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of salt
For the Filling and Topping
300 g grated cheese
🥄 Instructions
Make the Dough
Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and instant yeast and mix well.
Add the melted butter and the whole egg, then mix again until combined.
Sift the flour into the bowl and add the salt. Start bringing everything together until the flour has been incorporated and the dough begins to form.
Transfer the dough to a work surface or kneading board and knead for around 10 minutes. By the end, the dough should be smooth and lump-free with a slightly shiny surface.
First Rise
Lightly grease the bottom of a clean bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside.
Rub a very small amount of oil over the surface of the dough as well. This helps prevent the surface from drying out while it rises.
Cover the bowl with a lid and a kitchen towel and leave the dough somewhere warm for around 1 hour, or until well risen.
Make the Garlic Parsley Butter
While the dough is rising, melt the butter.
Add the crushed garlic, finely chopped parsley and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together and keep it somewhere warm until needed so the butter remains spreadable.
Prepare the grated cheese at the same time.
Roll and Fill
Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the risen dough.
Dust the top of the dough with just a little flour to prevent the rolling pin from sticking, then roll it into a large rectangle approximately 5 mm thick.
Brush the surface generously with some of the garlic parsley butter, making sure to save enough for later.
Scatter a little more than half of the grated cheese evenly over the dough.
Roll and Slice
Roll the dough up tightly into a log.
Pinch the long seam closed and seal the ends so the roll holds together.
Slice the log into pieces approximately two fingers wide.
Line a baking tray or air fryer-safe tray with baking paper and arrange the rolls inside.
Second Rise
Cover the tray with a clean kitchen towel and leave the rolls to rise again for approximately 30 minutes.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the air fryer to 180°C.
The rolls should look noticeably puffier and may begin to rise into one another.
Bake
Brush the tops and any exposed edges of the risen rolls with some of the garlic parsley butter.
Bake in the preheated air fryer at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Remove the tray and brush the rolls evenly with the remaining garlic parsley butter.
Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top.
Return them to the air fryer for approximately 5 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted nicely and the rolls are golden.
Cool and Serve
Allow the rolls to cool slightly before pulling them apart.
Once they have rested for a few minutes, the individual rolls should separate easily.
Serve them fresh and warm while the bread is soft and the cheese is still beautifully melted.
What to Serve It With🍽️
These cheesy garlic bread rolls are delicious on their own, but they're especially good alongside warm, hearty dishes.
Some of our favourite ways to serve them are:
- Tomato soup
- Bean goulash
- Potato goulash
- Other hearty soups and stews
- With a warm cup of tea
- Simply on their own as a snack
They're also handy for packed lunches, work, picnics or days out.
And if the entire serving plan is simply a tray of warm garlic rolls and a good film, that works perfectly well too. 😄
Why You’ll Love It⭐
Soft and fluffy inside – The two rising stages give the dough plenty of time to become light and soft.
Garlic butter throughout – The homemade garlic parsley butter goes inside the rolls and over the top, so you get that lovely flavour throughout.
Plenty of cheese – Cheese is rolled inside the dough and another layer is melted over the top at the end.
Made with simple ingredients – Everything in these rolls is easy to find and there's nothing complicated or unusual needed.
Great warm or cold – They're wonderful fresh from the air fryer but also easy to pack and take with you once cooled.
Perfect for sharing – Put the tray in the middle of the table and everyone can simply pull off a roll.
💡 Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Keep the Milk Warm, Not Hot
The milk should be comfortably warm rather than hot. Very hot milk can damage the yeast and prevent the dough from rising properly.
Don't Skip the Kneading
Give the dough the full kneading time if you can. After around 10 minutes, it should become noticeably smoother and more elastic, with a lovely smooth surface.
Use Only a Little Flour When Rolling
The risen dough may be slightly tacky, but avoid adding lots of extra flour. A light dusting on the work surface and on top of the dough should be enough to stop it sticking.
Save Some Garlic Butter
It’s tempting to use all that garlic butter inside, but don't. 😄 You'll need some before baking and the rest after the first 15 minutes. That final coating adds plenty of flavour to the finished rolls.
Keep an Eye on the Final Few Minutes
Air fryers can vary, so treat the final 5 minutes as a guide. At this stage, you mainly want the cheese to melt and the tops to finish nicely without becoming too dark.
How Should I Store Them?
Once completely cooled, keep the rolls in a covered airtight container or food storage bag to prevent them from drying out.
If possible, warm them slightly before serving again to soften the bread and bring back some of that freshly baked texture.
✨ Final Thoughts
There's something particularly nice about putting a tray of warm homemade rolls in the middle of the table and simply pulling them apart one by one.
These are the kind of rolls that work just as well beside a bowl of hot soup as they do on their own when you fancy something savoury. The combination of soft bread, garlic, parsley and plenty of cheese keeps things simple but gives them more than enough flavour.
They're also one of those useful recipes that don't have to be eaten immediately. Pack a couple for work, take them with you for a day out or keep the leftovers covered for later.
Although if you start eating them while they're still warm, the whole "leftovers" part of that plan may not work out quite as expected. 😄❤️
