Savory Sourdough Cheese Twist Rolls

Servings: 8 savory twists

Author: Jenny Prior

Put one tablespoon or 15-20 g sourdough starter into a clean container or pint size jar. Feed it with 60 grams water and 60 grams all-purpose or bread flour. Stir until no dry flour is left. Let it sit at room temp 6-12 hours until active (doubled in volume, full of large bubbles, and smells fragrant like ripe fruit)

Scald the milk: Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation. Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the pot. Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don't let it foam. Transfer scalded 100 g whole milk to the bowl of a stand mixer, large bowl, or a separate glass carafe to cool down to 90-100 degrees F.
Once your milk is cooled, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the 40 g water, 30 g sugar, 100 g active sourdough starter, 375 g all purpose flour, and 7 g salt. Stir with a dough hook attachment about 4 times around the bowl or with a large spoon if you are mixing by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until ingredients are beginning to combine and it looks like a shaggy dough mixture. Add the 4 g vanilla and 1 egg. Continue mixing the dough until it becomes completely combined and soft.

Knead your dough into a smooth, soft ball. It will take 5 to 8 minutes to get combined and soft until it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Kneading by hand will take 8 to 12 minutes.
Now, it is time to knead in the 45 g unsalted butter, softened. Add it one tablespoon at a time with kneading in between each addition. Continue kneading until the butter is completely incorporated into your dough and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl or kneading surface and is a soft smooth ball.

Place your dough into an airtight container or use a large clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. Keep your dough at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours for the bulk fermentation or first rise until it doubles.

Prepare the savory filling ingredients: 1 T. unsalted butter, 80 g cheddar cheese, 70 g bacon
Prepare a baking dish like a casserole dish or a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough until it is 14 inches by 16 inches. Spread butter on the dough, leaving an inch uncovered on the 14- inch edges. From one 14-inch edge to the center, sprinkle the cheese and bacon evenly. Then take the other 14-inch edge and fold in half over the filling ingredients. Press the unbuttered edges together to seal.
Use a pizza rolling cutter or serrated bread knife to cut 8 1 3/4-inch long strips from the fold to the sealed end. Pick up one of the long strips. Hold one end in place and twist the other end 4-6 times to form the twist then pinch the ends together to form a twisted loop. Place on the baking sheet spread 2 inches apart.

Let the covered dough sit at room temperature for the proof or second rise for 2 to 4 hours. The rolls should rise and spread until 1.5 to 2 times larger. The dough should feel soft to touch.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
At end of preheat, whisk an egg and a sprinkle of water in a small bowl to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash evenly over the savory twists with a pastry brush. Sprinkle on additional seeds or other toppings.
Bake for 22-26 minutes until golden brown.
Cool 5 to 15 minutes before enjoying. These savory cheese rolls are best enjoyed warm. These are a great way to create an incredible breakfast sandwich.