Cheddar-Onion Rye Rolls

Soft, buttery, pull-apart rolls, swirled with cheddar and caramelized yellow onions. Perfect for brunch alongside some fried or poached eggs (try dipping them in the runny yolk), or as part of a light lunch with a green salad, or maybe even some vegetarian chili.

This recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour's Bacon Onion Rye Rolls. Rather than using bacon, I caramelized 2 cups of thinly sliced onion in 2 TBSP of butter while the dough was doing its first rise. To do that, melt butter in a large skillet, add onions and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, gently stirring every now and then to avoid burning. After letting the onions cool for a few minutes, I seasoned them a lightly with salt and pepper, then stirred in 1 TBSP flour, the leftover egg white from the dough ingredients, and 8 ounces of sharp shredded cheddar. Then proceeded with the recipe as written. After trying one, a friend told me I should open a bakery. I’ll take that as a good sign!

Photo by Daniel Marks

Cheddar-Onion Rye Rolls Recipe:

Adapted from: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/bacon-onion-rye-rolls-recipe

Yield
15-18 medium size buns

Difficulty
Moderate

The risen dough is nice and easy to work with. The only thing I'd point out, is that the recipe states it makes 18 rolls. But if you make them in a 9x13 pan like I did, I'd suggest slicing the rolled up log into 15 pieces rather than 18 since rolls don't fit in that size pan. Perhaps it's better to use two 9 inch round pans if you prefer 18 rolls. Also, mine were a light golden brown when done, they look a shade or two darker in the photos because they've been brushed with melted butter upon removing from the oven.