These are the least fussy, and yet among the most delicious rolls I’ve ever come up with. Rolls can be a lot of work – often to the point that I figure I can make from-scratch rolls, or dinner – but not both. These hard salami pull-apart rolls are such a breeze that one could easily multi-task many other things while making them. There’s an insignificant amount of chopping involved, and the rest is hands-off. They’re too flavorful to go with just anything … they beg to paired with something bold, like a bowl of spicy chili or zesty garlic-and-oil pasta. I’m sure they’d make showstopper hot dog buns, a killer pizza dough, or over-the-top ham and cheese sliders.
Makes a dozen 2-oz. rolls
11 oz. bread flour (2 cups)
2.5 oz. thin-sliced, hard salami, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 large-ish cloves of garlic (about 3/8 oz.), minced
1.5 oz. rye or wheat flour (optional, for color and texture, 1/4 cup)
1.5 oz. shredded Parmesan (3/4 cups loosely packed)
1 packet (7 grams) active dry yeast
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground, dried tomato
1/2 oz. sugar (1 Tbs)
1/4 oz. salt (1 tsp)
8 oz. filtered water (1 cup), slightly warmer than body temperature
Olive oil
Butter
Cheese sprinkle (powder)
In a stand mixer, paddle 4 oz. (3/4 cup) bread flour, salami, garlic, rye or wheat flour, Parmesan, yeast, spices, sugar, and salt on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add water. Switch to dough hook, and knead on low speed until all the flour is hydrated, about 2 minutes, stopping twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 5.75 oz. (1 cup) bread flour and knead until a ball forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. Add 1.25 oz. (1/4 cup) of flour and knead until it’s incorporated. Continue to knead for 2 minutes, stopping once to push the ball off the hook. The finished dough should be soft, but not sticky. Place into an oiled, medium-sized bowl. Then remove it, flip it, and return it to the bowl. (This gets oil all over the dough.) Cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 1.5 hours or so.
Separate the dough into a dozen (2-oz.) balls. Shape them into rolls. Place them into a well-buttered, 8-inch square pan (or the equivalent). Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until the rolls are touching one another snugly, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375ºF for 20 minutes, while the rolls continue to rise. At this point, the rolls should be starting to push against the plastic wrap. Carefully brush the rolls with oil and sprinkle with cheese powder. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan, on a rack, until pleasantly warm, about 10 minutes.
Notes:
- This is going to seem like too much garlic, but in the end, it’s not.
- The tomato powder is worth it, even if you have to work hard to procure it. It contributes depth to the rolls’ flavor, and really sets them apart.
- I generally feel that making bread by hand – without a mixer – is best. However, a big part of the charm of these rolls is their easy breeziness, which a stand mixer emphasizes. But of course you can make these rolls by hand.
- How many times have I read, “…let rise in a warm, draft-free spot?” I live in a climate-controlled, urban soft loft. It has no warm spots (not even in the décor!). However, it does have floor-to-ceiling windows, where, especially on sunny days, it gets nice and warm if I turn off the AC. Hence, turning off the AC is usually the first thing I do when making bread. If it’s not sunny, I’ll set a heating pad (the kind you’d use on your body) on the kitchen table, set it to its lowest setting, and place the bowl of dough on top. This is absolutely contrary to the warming pad’s manufacturer’s instructions – so do not do it! I’m obviously reckless! But I’m telling you, it works perfectly (is what they’ll write on my tombstone).
- I’ve read so much about rising bread that I’ve had to increase my data limit several times. The best way to understand when bread has risen is to bake bread with someone who knows how. You need to get the feel of the dough. Properly risen dough feels sort of like a marshmallow, but softer. Moreover, it feels distinctly and obviously different than it did when you put it into the bowl: lighter, more easily pliable, more liquid in its movement when you pick it up (and you’ll feel it deflate as you do).
Homemade Hard Salami Pull-Apart Rolls
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not solicited, nor written in exchange for anything. I want to give an unsolicited shout-out to “Old Taylor Street Cheese Sprinkle,” from The Spice House. A second shout-out: I was inspired to make this bread by a post at Words of Deliciousness, a blog that I love to follow.
Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
These rolls look absolutely delicious! Awesome for a pulled pork sandwich or even a Cuban! I love your tips at the end. I have one of those heating pads, never thought to use it for bread making, great idea. My house is heated with cast iron rads so making bread in the winter is perfect but the summer can be challenging with A/C.
They really are good rolls – real stand-outs. Yeah, the heating pad was a happy coincidence to recently spraining my ankle! On its lowest setting, it’s perfect for bread dough … effective without being severe. (Much more effective, I think, than it was on my ankle!)
Tender and delicious…these dinner rolls turned out excellent, Jeff.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted…Braided Beetroot Loaf
Thanks!
These look wonderful!
Mimi recently posted…Golden Cauliflower and Carrot Rice
Thank you! I was really happy with them.
These rolls look so soft, I wish I could have some right now! Homemade is always the best.
Muna Kenny recently posted…Stuffed Grape Leaves Made Easy
I often wonder, when it comes to bread, if it’s worth it to make it at home, when there are so many bakeries (at least in Chicago) that make incredible bread. But these stand up to any bakery rolls I’ve ever had, for sure, and they aren’t much work (relative to most break baking).
Salami in a dinner roll? Sheer genius, my friend! This reminds me of the time I put pepperoni into sandwich bread…but pull-apart dinner rolls are always a winner. There’s something so fun about pulling each roll off! 🙂
David @ Spiced recently posted…Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
Next time I make these, I think I may turn them into a sandwich loaf. I had about half the rolls leftover the day after I made them, so I started making little sandwiches with them, and it was marvelous in that roll. (See what I did there?)
You have a heating pad for bread making?
OK, so it’s one you would use on your body (I’ve just googled it on Amazon too) and I thought it was specifically for bread making and got all excited. I should have read what you said first!
That’s fantastic! I might have to steal that idea Jeff, if that’s OK as due to temperature fluctuations in Scotland, I frequently get different rises on my bread which can be so frustrating!
Awesome flavoursome recipe my friend. Having salami in rolls I could only imagine would be SOOO delicious!
I’m telling you, I can’t believe how fortunate it was to stumble on the heating pad. I bought it because I’d sprained my ankle. And then of course it was destined to become one of those things that, next time I need it, I won’t know where the hell it is. However, as I was making these rolls, I had one of those days where it just wasn’t quite warm enough for them to rise in a reasonable amount of time. I know some bakers who will try to MacGyver their oven into a proofing oven, but I find that to be too severe. I think it hurries the dough. I just wanted to encourage it. The heating pad – on its lowest setting – it just perfectly warm … exactly the right level of encouragement to get a nice, not-too-fast rise.
All this needs is a good butter melting when this is freshly baked! Yummy!
Raymund recently posted…Yunke No Shokutaku (Aeon Mall, Kyoto, Japan)
Absolutely!
ahh these sound so good!! and no, that’s definitely not too much garlic (; i can imagine that these would work well with a hearty stew, too!
heather (delicious not gorgeous) recently posted…Beef Rice Bowls with Sesame Cabbage Slaw
I’m telling you, I love garlic … but when I was working with the dough, I definitely had some concerns that I’d overdone it. But once baked, it was exactly right!
The heating pad is a good idea. We’ve put a bowl of rising bowl on an electric blanket for the same reason. Anyway, this looks terrific. Love homemade rolls! Never added salami or garlic (have added pepperoni) — gotta try that. Thanks!
John/Kitchen Riffs recently posted…The Atty Cocktail
Ah, electric blanket! Yeah, I can see how that’d work. Then you could just crawl into bed with the rising dough, take a nice nap, and wake up in time to bake the rolls!
So funny! I let my bread rise on the couch right where the sun comes in the Southern window! Next time I’m thinking it will be this dough rising in the window! These sound fabulous!
Abbe@This is How I Cook recently posted…Date Nut Chai Bread #BakhtiBreweryBreak #Sprouts
Thanks! Yeah, sunlight works pretty well, doesn’t it? Especially if you cover the bread with plastic wrap. Depending on conditions, though, it can sometimes actually be a bit warmer than I’d prefer. I like a slow rise … just not an ALL DAY slow.
Who knew a heating pad in the kitchen could turn you into an outlaw! What dangerous times we live in… GREG
sippitysup recently posted…How to Cook Crispy-Skinned Fish
Oh, don’t get me started! If people knew what I did with my other appliances, I’d be serving consecutive life sentences!
These look outstanding, really. I could eat a Bakers Dozen with some butter all to myself. Sorry Dave, make your own 😉
That tomato powder is interesting and I need to look into that one. Nice job!
Have a great weekend Jeff!
Kevin | Keviniscooking recently posted…Sweet and Sour Strawberry Semifreddo
The tomato powder is fantastic! Do try it! It was a gift that sat in my cupboard until just now, and it was perfect in the rolls. I think it consists of extremely dried tomatoes, ground up. I think it’s that simple. (That’s how it tastes … it has that caramelized flavor of sun-dried tomatoes.)
This sounds like a really good snack for the game!
Jay recently posted…Shimmer Lake
These rolls would be amazing with a nice bowl of soup. They look tender and delicious!
They definitely would be. Thanks, Julie.
Wow, these rolls sound incredible! And using the dough for pizza??? Another genius idea!
Thanks, Liz!
I wish I had seen this wonderful recipe before Easter, my family would have LOVED it! Salami in bread is genius! A perfect way to use up stray pieces of charcuterie too! Nicely done.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Tangzhong Dinner Rolls
Thank you! At the risk of tooting my own horn, these are really good rolls. They make amazing sliders.
They really look impressive. I am really bad at all breads (apart from flat ones, like chappati), so I’m seriously impressed!
Wow this sounds delicious!!! I bet pepperoni would work just as well too.
It absolutely would!
Oh salami, parmesan and garlic in pull apart buns = fantastic!
Thanks. They’re one of my favorites.
I love dinner rolls and with salami they soud really fantastic!
They really are!
Hmmmm…. and on the list!
Iris Flavia recently posted…T STands For Frohes FesT
Nice choice! They’re delicious!
I am not much of a baker but these rolls look so good you may have inspired me to get out my paddle blade and give it a whirl.
It’d be worth it. They’re pretty good.
I bet chopped pepperoni would be good, as well, in this recipe. They turned out perfect Jeff!
Awesome!
Jeff, these rolls look really good. Diced salami is really interesting! I laughed because I have often thought, “I can’t cook dinner, and bake bread” in the same event (laugh). I am feeling inspired!
Velva
I’m right on the same page with you! These rolls are one of the very rare exceptions that make it possible.
Che stupenda proposta! Davvero golosa e perfetta per la tavola delle feste!
Thank you!