Go Back
+ servings
freshly baked cheesy cheese and bacon rolls

Cheese and Bacon Rolls

Fluffy and soft milk buns loaded with golden cheddar cheese and crispy bacon! The classic Aussie snack with a delicious twist! Well worth the effort.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Dough rising time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 53 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 248kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with a dough hook

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded about 160g
  • 1 cup lean bacon cubes about 140g (note 1)

Milk buns

  • cups bread flour (high protein flour) 500g/1.1lbs
  • ¼ cup caster sugar 50g
  • ½ teaspoon instant yeast 3g
  • ½ tablespoon sea salt 10g
  • 1⅓ cups full cream milk, warm 350g

Instructions

Knead and first rise

  • In a stand mixer bowl, combine all milk buns ingredients except milk. Mix well with a fork.
  • Make a rough well in the flour mixture and pour the warm milk into the bowl.
  • Attach mixing bowl onto the stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook. Knead on low speed for 1 minute.
  • Increase speed up to medium-high and knead for 10 minutes. Depending on the brand of your mixer, you might need to hold the mixer in place to stop it from moving too much.
  • The dough should be smooth and elastic. Cover with cling film (plastic) and let it rise in a warm place (such as the oven) for 2.5 hours or until it has doubled in size. (note 2)

Shape the buns

  • Scrape the risen dough onto a (clean!) workbench and divide into two even logs with a knife or a dough scraper. Divide the dough logs into 12 even pieces.
  • Take one dough piece, flatten it into a rectangular shape. Lengthways, fold one-third of the dough into the middle then bring the other end into the middle.
  • Flatten again and lightly pull/stretch the dough into a rectangular shape. Tightly roll the dough up, lengthways.
  • Put the rolled dough on the workbench, push down with one hand (in the shape of a claw) and roll in a circular motion. The dough will be locked in by the clawed hand. Continue to roll the dough with pressure until a smooth, tight, round ball is formed.
  • Repeat for all 12 dough pieces.

Second rise and bake

  • Place the rolled dough balls onto a lightly floured and lined baking tray. Cover with cling film/plastic and proof for 2.5 hours or until roughly doubled in size. (note 2)
  • If proofing buns in the oven, remove from the oven. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Uncover the tray and generously load dough buns with shredded cheese (about 1 cup) then top with bacon cubes. Finish up with sprinkling remaining cheese.
  • Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15 minutes then turn heat up to 200°C/400°F and bake for a further 8 minutes or until bacon crispy and cheese golden and blistered. Turn the tray with 4 minutes left of baking time to allow even colouring and cooking.
  • Rest for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack then dig in!

Notes

Note 1. Lean bacon is used here, fatty bacon will get too oily since a lot of cheese is involved
Note 2. Rising dough in a warm place. A trick for a warm place, especially if it is a cold day, is by leaving the dough in a warm oven. Warm up the oven by turning it on for a couple of minutes on the lowest heat, then turn the oven off (important!) Place the dough into the oven with the door closed. Be careful to not overheat the oven! If you do (I've done so plenty of times), just leave the oven door ajar and let it cool down before putting the dough into the oven. Always triple-check that the oven is not on when proofing. The ideal temperature for the dough to rise is around 25°C/77°F.
Breaking the process up into two days so that you're not dedicating an entire day on this, at step #5, instead of letting the dough rise in a warm place, place the covered dough in the fridge overnight. It'll rise slowly but surely. This will help the dough to develop an even more complex flavour. Continue from step #6 the next day. Perfect to start on a Saturday night for a Sunday morning family breafast!
Leftovers/freezing When eating the next day, best warm up the rolls in the microwave for about 5 to 10 seconds. This way, the cheese will be slightly melted and buns lovely and soft. Lasts up to 3 months in the freezer. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.7g | Protein: 10.9g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 5.7g | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg