I had leftover baked ham from a few weeks ago, so I decided to make savory breakfast rolls inspired by Asian bakeries. I used grated white cheddar cheese, diced ham, and butter as filling for the rolls, and adapted my recipe for cinnamon buns to make the dough.
To make the dough, I mixed a packet of active dry yeast with 1/2 cup lukewarm water and set it aside. Then, I combined 1/2 cup scalded milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 tsp. salt, 1 egg, and 2 cups all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl and mix everything until it just comes together. Next, I added the yeast mixture and an additional 1 1/2 cups flour, kneaded the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours in a greased bowl.
After the dough had risen, I rolled it into a 15 x 9 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface, spread about a cup of softened butter on top, and sprinkled grated white cheddar cheese and chopped ham. I rolled the dough and cut it into 12-15 pieces, then let it rise again for 40 minutes on a greased pan.
I preheated the oven to 350F and baked the rolls for about 30 minutes, until they were nicely browned on top. While the rolls were baking, I prepared a topping by mixing 4 Tbsp. softened butter, 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley, and 1 tsp. garlic powder in a bowl.
As soon as I took the rolls out of the oven, I brushed them with the herbed butter mixture to allow it to melt. The rolls are best served warm.
