Hey guys! We’re going for something savory this weekend with these fluffy Cheese Twists. Fluffy bread with savory cheese and butter twisted through it, and topped with everything bagel seasoning to make for a seriously yummy breakfast treat.

I finished writing my second book a few weeks ago. It’s about breakfast baking at high-altitude, and it comes out later this year! I’ve got an insanely yummy recipe for Lemon Twists going in there, and that inspired me to make a savory version, so here we are with these babies. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Cheese Twists

This is a super simple bread dough, and we’re starting by heating up milk and sugar to bloom the yeast. Then, mix it together with the eggs and butter. Then we’re kneading in the flour and salt until a dough forms. This is one of those times you really want to give the dough time to knead and develop gluten. I’m talkin’ a good 10 to 15 minutes of kneading in a stand mixer, don’t skimp here!

After the dough has risen, we’re rolling it out to fill. Spread a thin layer of butter all over the dough, and then sprinkle on your cheese. I’m using a mixture of cheddar and gruyere here, but you can really be flexible with the cheese you use, as long it’s not something with a high moisture level. Fontina, jack cheeses, or any kind of Swiss works really well here! Or you can just use all cheddar cheese- super yummy.

I like to give the cheese a little press with the rolling pin to help adhere it to the butter and dough- this helps keep everything in place while you twist it together. Cut the dough into 12 long strips that are about 1-2 inches wide. Then, fold each strip in half to sandwich the cheese in the middle, and give the whole thing a good couple of twists. Roll it into a roll shape, and place it on your baking sheet.

After letting the dough rise again, give it a good brush of egg wash, and then sprinkle on the everything bagel seasoning. You can use anything you’d like here- red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, or dried dill would all be super yummy choices. Then it’s off to the oven- these are best enjoyed warm from the oven! Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks For Cheese Twists

I’ve got a couple of tips to help make sure you get the best cheese twists ever:

• Knead that dough for a long time Like the whole 10-15 minutes needed to make sure the dough is stretchy and smooth. This makes for the perfect texture after baking, so don’t skimp.
• The shape doesn’t have to be perfect. These are a kind of twisty, craggly, bread rolls that get browed all over, and they definitely don’t have to be shaped perfectly. It’s kind of an odd forming method, so don’t stress too much about it!
• Use any cheese you like as long as it’s not a cheese with a high moisture content. Most hard cheeses work perfectly here!
• Use any seasonings for the top that you like too. I love everything bagel seasoning here, but red pepper flakes, dried dill, or even just coarse salt are all great choices too!
• I’m about about 5,000 ft above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000 ft and 7,000 ft above sea level don’t need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

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Cheese Twists

Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients

For the bread:

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 tbs sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup very soft butter
• 3- 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt

For the filling and topping:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup shredded gruyere
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tbs. everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

For the bread:

1. In a medium microwave safe bowl, stir together the whole milk, and sugar. Heat in the microwave until the mixture reaches 110-115 degrees, and then stir in the active dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy and bubbly. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the eggs and soft butter until the eggs are just beaten. The butter will still be in small chunks, that’s okay! Stir in the bloomed yeast mixture, 3 cups of flour, and the salt. Knead for several minutes, or until a shaggy dough forms, and then continue kneading, adding flour if needed, until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be very smooth and elastic at this point. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it has almost doubled in size. For me this takes about 30-45 minutes.

For the filling and topping:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Once your dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. On the short sides, trim off any uneven edges. Evenly spread the butter across the entire sheet of dough, and then sprinkle on the grated cheese. Use your rolling pin to gently press the cheese into the butter and dough.

2. Then, slice the rectangle into 12 strips that are about 3/4-1 inch thick. Fold each strip in half, sandwiching the filling on the inside. Then, twist the strip into a spiral, and twist entire spiral into a roll, tucking the bottom of the roll underneath. Place each twisted roll onto your prepared pan with about an inch of space between each roll. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for about 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap  and brush the tops with an egg wash, and then sprinkle on everything bagel seasoning. and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes on the pan before serving warm!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!