.................. Cooking with Barry & Meta: Cheesy Onion Rolls

The refrigerator dough used to make these rolls is one of the best ever—it is and easy to shape. The resulting rolls are tender, fluffy and full of flavor. What I consider to be an ideal recipe! The recipe I used is the one I found on Mennonite Girls Can Cook and it accompanied their version of Cheesy Onion Rolls

This fluffy roll (above) was the perfect accompaniment to last night's Fish Florentine and as a sausage bun for breakfast (below).

Although I followed the yeast dough recipe, I made some changes to the cheese and onion filling as outlined below.

Dough can be made, shaped and then baked in a matter of a few hours, here’s what the Mennonite Girls say about it as a REFRIGERATOR DOUGH: It keeps well for several days in the fridge in a sealed container. It is a simple thing to use half the dough for cheesy onion rolls today...and refrigerate the rest to use for cinnamon buns or more onion buns tomorrow (or the tomorrow after that!). Note: Refrigerate the dough immediately after mixing, not after a rise. Allow the dough to warm up a little before shaping baking.

FUTURE PLANS . . .

Cut the roll into smaller pieces to make at least 24 rolls . . . or even make them smaller.
Experiment with the fillings – both savory and sweet.

Cheesy Onion Rolls Makes 20 very large rolls

Yeast Dough:

2 cups very warm water (120 to 130° F)

1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 tablespoons yeast (instant)

6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dough instructions:

Stir together the water, potato flakes, sugar and salt.
Add eggs, softened butter and mix.
Add yeast mixed with 3 cups flour; beat with mixer on high speed. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft but kneadable dough is formed.
Knead well. (I headed for about 5 to 6 minutes.)
Place in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (About an hour in a warm place.)

Cheese & Onion Filling:

1 medium onion, diced

About 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, melted

3 cups shredded cheese (I used 1 1/2 cups Cheddar & 1 1/2 cups mozzarella)

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Approximately 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Filling instructions:

Sauté the onion is olive oil until they are tender and lightly browned. Cool.
Assemble the remaining ingredients.

To shape the rolls:

Punch down dough, and divide in half.
Roll each half out to form a 16” x 12” rectangle.
Brush each piece with half the melted butter; sprinkle each rectangle with half the onion and cheese.
Beat egg, and brush lightly over long edges.
Starting at one long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal.
Cut thick slices (about 1 1/2") and place on parchment or silicon lined baking sheet about 2” apart.
Press buns to flatten to about 3/4" thick.
Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Brush lightly with beaten egg.
Add a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each bun (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon).
Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on racks.

Recipe without photos . . . Cheesy Onion Rolls Makes 20 very large rolls