Asiago Herb Dinner Rolls
If you love Asiago bagels, you’ll love this dinner roll! These asiago herb dinner rolls are amazingly golden on top and soft on the inside.
Life can be very uncertain, but if there’s one thing I can bank on, it’s this: if Asiago bagels are ever around, my 11-year old will eat at least four (and maybe more if there isn’t anyone there, including a brother or three, to cut him off).
The flavorful, crunchy cheese with the chewy, soft bagel dough is pure heaven (and that’s not just according to the pre-teen in our house; we all agree).
The recipe I’m posting today is like the dinner roll equivalent to the adored Asiago bagel. And boy, they are tasty.
Have you heard of Magleby’s famous dinner rolls? Yes? No? Magleby’s is a family-owned restaurant/catering business based in Utah. It’s been years (probably about 15 – yikes, I’m old) since I’ve eaten there.
I have absolutely no affiliation with the company, but I remember a long time ago, my sister-in-law, Mary, making a Magleby’s roll knock-off, and they were so divine, that’s where my mind went when I decided Asiago herb dinner rolls would be a good thing to bring into my life.
You’ll see lots of copycat recipes for Magleby’s rolls online. I take the general idea, since they’re all basically the same, and do my own thing.
First of all, I use this fluffy, divine, basic, so easy, wonderful, staple, favorite (get the idea yet?) French bread dinner roll as the base.
If you want a whole wheat version, I think this fluffy whole wheat dinner roll would be fabulous. And then, I opt for Asiago instead of Parmesan for the topping.
I like just a smattering of herbs and cheese over the top of the rolls, versus having a cheese topping an inch thick (not necessarily a bad thing, now that I think of it, but not what I wanted on my delectable rolls).
Because of this, I sprinkle the topping over the rolls once they’ve been dipped in mayo and butter, but if you are after more saturation by cheese, go big and dip the top of the roll in the cheese topping (keeping in mind you’ll want to at least double, if not more, the amount of topping).
I know half of you, including my sister, the self-proclaimed mayo-hater, are cringing at the idea of dipping the ball of roll dough in mayo even if it is followed by a dunk in melted butter.
You have to just go with it, ok? Put your big girl or boy apron on and get out that mayo. And no, I haven’t tried subbing the mayo with Greek yogurt, miracle whip, buttermilk, pickle juice or canned dog food; experiment at your own risk.
These baked Asiago herb dinner rolls don’t taste like mayonnaise at all, but the mayo helps to give the top of the roll a special kind of texture and it helps with browning, as well as acting like glue for that cheesy goodness.
I included some variations and further notes below in the recipe (including why I like the tops of the rolls soft, not crunchy, and how to get them that way after baking) so please make sure you read through before making the rolls.
The recipe looks long, thanks to the details to guarantee success, but it’s actually very simple
If you’re after a fluffy, amazingly soft dinner roll topped with that signature Asiago taste and a sprinkling of herbs, these rolls will make you very happy.
And if anyone’s wondering, resident 11-year olds have been known to eat more than six of these babies in one sitting (the exact number is still unconfirmed – all I know is one time, after a few tears from siblings, we had a family discussion about how dividing fourteen rolls by seven people does not equal six per person; learning at its finest).
Asiago Herb Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ¾ tablespoon instant yeast, or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil like avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, give or take a few tablespoons (see note)
Topping:
- 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅓ cup or so grated Asiago cheese (I use the sharp holes on the back of my box grater)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley or herbs de provence for a slightly more gourmet flavor
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour (if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour). Begin mixing and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Judge the dough not by the amount of flour called for in the recipe but in how the dough feels (see a tutorial on working with yeast here). The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.
- Knead the dough in the stand mixer or by hand until it is very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 8-10 minutes by hand. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour).
- Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide the dough into 12-16 pieces (I weigh out about 2 ounces of dough for each roll). Form each piece of dough into a tight ball by cupping it in your hand and rolling it on the counter (here’s a video on rolling the dough into balls). Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Put the mayonnaise and butter in separate small bowls. Lightly warm the mayonnaise for 10 seconds or so in the microwave – it doesn’t need to be hot, just a little runnier than normal. In another small bowl or shallow dish, toss the Asiago cheese with the garlic powder and parsley.
- One by one, dip the top of each roll in the mayonnaise and then directly into the butter. Place butter side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a lightly greased 9X13-inch pan. Sprinkle the top of each roll with the Asiago mixture, lightly pressing it into the melted butter/mayo so it sticks a little bit. I like to dip about 4-5 rolls, place them on the baking sheet or pan and then sprinkle with the Asiago mixture before proceeding with another 4-5 rolls (so the butter stays soft and melted to allow the cheese to stick). Place the rolls 1/2- to 1-inch apart.
- Lightly cover the rolls with greased plastic wrap (not too tight as you don’t want it to pull up all the cheese topping off the rolls when you remove it) and let the rolls rise until doubled and very puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the rolls for 14-15 minutes until lightly browned and baked through. These rolls taste best, in my opinion, if the tops have a chance to soften. After they’ve cooled out of the oven for about 5-10 minutes, I like to place a very thin kitchen towel (like a muslin or flour sack towel) over them for another 10-15 minutes (these rolls taste great the next day, too, and the tops are beautifully soft if, once they are cooled, they are stored in ziplock bags overnight).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: used this favorite French Bread roll recipe; topping adapted from Frieda Loves Bread
I made a batch and had to try one, you know, for quality assurance.
I then ran to make a second batch because I needed to have some for myself after bringing them for dinner.
These rolls are super good!
I added minced garlic to the asiago mix and it adds some good flavor.
I’ll be making these again!
Have you heard of Magleby’s famous dinner rolls? Yes? No? Magleby’s is a family-owned restaurant/catering business based in Utah. I take the general idea, since they’re all basically the same, and do my own thing.
These are so good! Used parmesan since that’s what I had. They made delicious sandwiches.
Have you prepped these the day before then baked the following day? Thinking about Thanksgiving for this year. They look so good but I’m hosting and need to make it easy on myself.
Also I’m going to make your instapot potatoes!
I haven’t made these the day before, but I have done that with lots of other yeast bread recipes, and I think it would work just fine!
recipe for hard boiled eggs
I made these last night as hamburger buns. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help it,and added an egg. AIso I tripled the recipe and did 4 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour. I know it’s not a good review to change the recipe and then review it, but I trusted you would want know? I also used olive oil, because one of the sons had my canola oil outside. Umm. They turned out great, the whole family loved them. I have mayo fears, and I just brushed a thin layer on after they were shaped, instead of dipping them. Then I proceeded as directed, and it was all super tasty. Thanks, Mel, I think grilled hamburger night will always call for these.
Oh yum!
I made these today with the help of my 21 year old son who was kind enough not to divulge the fact that we used mayo. Every roll was devoured! Thank you so much for another delicious recipe!
Anxious to try the recipes. They look great.
I am making these now – they smell SO GOOD in the oven. I’m noticing my first batch has burnt-ish cheese on top. I have a second batch waiting to go in. Any thoughts on how to prevent the burning? Love, love, love your recipes BTW,
Hi Shawna – sorry for the delay in responding. Were all the rolls burned on top? You might want to lower the oven rack and/or reduce the temp by 25 degrees.
Mel, I have attempted (and rocked!) some tricky recipes. I’m a pretty good cook and a decent baker. But I’ve never made traditional dinner rolls from scratch. I’ve made every other form of yeast bread you can imagine with varying degrees of success, but never dinner rolls. They irrationally intimidate the crap out of me.
We were assigned to bring rolls/bread for Easter dinner, and I started trying to decide between breadsticks or pull-apart rolls or biscuits. My husband (also a fan of yours) sent me this recipe, but I told him the only way we’d have “real” rolls for Easter dinner was if he made them himself.
So he did.
I helped at the end with the shaping and dipping, and even though there was a bit of a learning curve with the roll rolling (we watched your tutorial a couple times and I may have exclaimed, “What the hell, Mel!” a couple times when it didn’t seem to be working), we eventually figured it out.
And the rolls were gorgeous. They were bigger than I expected, but not ungainly. We used pecorino romano cheese and omitted the parsley. They were pillowy soft and delicious.
All this to say, I think I’m cured of my roll phobia. I won’t make them often, but I’ll definitely make them again.
I don’t often comment here, so sorry this is so long, but thanks (to you and my husband!) for hand-holding me through this. I feel like a rock star.
I loved your comment so much, Lindsay! And seriously, I laughed out loud at the “what the hell, Mel” remark. I’m sure you’re not the first (nor the last) to shout that at me. 🙂 But way to go on the roll (you and your husband!!). The rolls sound amazing and I’m so proud of you!
I made these for Easter. I only had parsley and parmasean on hand but got good reviews from guests. I am a mayo hater and maybe it is just my imagination but could swear I could taste the mayo.
Hi! I’m making these for dinner tomorrow and I just thought, oh I’ll watch her tutorial on how to make them perfectly round, I haven’t made round rolls for a while and once again you cause me to have a fit of giggles when you mention a “clean counter” would be best! Hahaha! Love you and I dearly loved Magelbys! Thanks!
Thanks, Jill. 🙂
The recipe looks wonderful but I was primarily intrigued with the mayo-butter “wash” and tried that on my own pumpkin-brioche recipe topped with rosemary and parmesan. Also the damp towel for a soft top. WOW – both worked very well. I will hunt up some Asiago to try as I’m in the Asiago-Herb bagel loving camp!
A happy and blessed Easter to you and your family, Mel!
Same to you, Liz!
These were great and I will made the Asiago herb , because I love It so much it’s like pizza!!! Thank you for those recipes Mel.
Hi Mel,
yes, I’ll try it today.
if I froze this little babies, i’m affraid of the topping?
tell me your opinion, please.
I am also curious about how these might freeze. I’ve been assigned rolls for Thanksgiving and due to traveling, I need to make in advance and freeze. Thanks!
These rolls look amazing! I’m going to have to add these yummy herbs to ours on Sunday!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
These look like the Magelby’s rolls in Provo
Yep, I talk about Magleby’s in the post. 🙂