Cheese and Bacon Rolls No Knead

These cheese and bacon rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with a gooey cheddar and bacon filling. The dough is an easy no knead recipe packed with flavour, and it turns out super soft and fluffy every time. Rolling these into cinnamon roll shapes gives them beautiful layers of soft dough and gooey cheese. 

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Why you will LOVE this recipe:

• Easy, no knead dough: The dough comes together so quickly and it's super easy to make.
• Super cheesy: The cheese filling makes the middles super gooey and cheesy.
• Bacon: They're packed with lots of bits of bacon.
• Soft: They're soft, fluffy, and you wouldn't believe how easy to no knead dough is to make!

How to get a gooey cheese filling for rolls

The cheese and bacon rolls are filled with a cheese sauce, similar to what you'd make for a mac and cheese. I've tried just adding shredded cheese straight into the rolls and they turned out way too greasy and they weren't gooey at all.

It's just a few extra steps but the results are so worth it. Start off by making a roux in a pan - combine melted butter and flour. Cook until the flour starts to shimmer, about 1 minute. Add milk and cook until thickened. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. Season and cool.

Then all you have to do is spread it onto the dough, add more toppings and roll into rolls.

No knead dough

Yeasted dough is already intimidating to make so I developed a no knead version! It has eggs in the dough which keeps it beautifully soft and fluffy.

All you have to do is bloom the yeast in a separate bowl. Then combine all of the ingredients together and mix until it resembles a dough. You don't need an electric mixer. Let it rise and you're ready to fill your cheese and bacon rolls!

Make ahead

Prepare the rolls the night before and stop before letting the assembled rolls rise (second rise). Wrap baking tray tightly to cover and immediately place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Once you are ready to bake them, let them come to room temperature for 10-20 minutes and rise to fill out any gaps in the pan. Bake as per instructions.

Flavour variations

• omit the bacon for a vegetarian version
• switch out the cheddar cheese with your favourite cheese or combination of cheeses
• Add your favourite herbs into the dough and/or filling
• brush the tops with garlic butter (butter with garlic mixed in)

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Activated dry yeast: You can use instant dry yeast if you prefer, just mix it right into the dough (no need to dissolve).

Parmesan cheese: This flavours the dough making it extra cheesy. You can use pre-grated or freshly grated.

Cheddar cheese: I used cheddar in this recipe but you can use your favourite cheese or mix of favourite cheeses. Use good quality, real cheese.

Bacon: Use your favourite type of bacon, you will need 8 strips. You can use more if you want extra bacon flavour, just measure with your heart.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Step by step: making the dough

Step 1 - Dissolve yeast, sugar, and water in a medium bowl. Stir and let sit for 5-7 minutes. The top will start looking foamy. If it doesn’t, try with a different container of yeast (it’s not active anymore). 

Step 2 - In a large bowl, combine sifted flour, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir to combine.

Step 3 - Make a well in the center and add grated parmesan, eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Add the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms. Start off with a spoon and transition to your hands when it gets thick. Mix so that everything combines (you may need to knead a few times with your hands).

Step 4 - Cover the dough a drizzle of oil and rub it all over so that it doesn’t dry out. Let rise in a warm place (see notes). Rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. 

Step by step: making the filling

Step 1 - Work on the filling while the dough rises. In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until all the flour is coated in butter and it starts shimmering. 

Step 2 - After a minute, add milk gradually, whisking to prevent any lumps. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. 

Step 3 - Once thickened, remove from heat and add grated cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth. If not all of the cheddar melts, heat on low heat, whisking well until smooth. 

Step 4 - Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let cool to room temperature. 

Step by step: assembling the rolls

Step 1 - Punch down the risen dough. Flatten and fold a few times to smooth it out and recombine. Dump onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle, ¼” thick.

Step 2 - Spread the cheese filling in an even layer onto the rolled out dough. Sprinkle chopped cooked bacon evenly on top and add more grated cheese (you can sprinkle chopped chives too if you like).

Step 3 - Roll up the dough like a sausage. Trim the edges to even them out and mark the roll into 12 equal pieces. Cut with a string or unflavoured piece of floss by wrapping the string around the roll and pulling. Place rolls onto a buttered 9” by 12” (or similar size baking pan). 

Step 4 - Let the rolls rise until they puffed up and are filling out the gaps in the pan (about 30 minutes). It’s ok if there are still some gaps left. 

Step 5 - Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Bake the rolls in the middle rack until golden brown and bubbling, 30-35 minutes. 

Step 6 - Once baked, remove from oven and rub a tablespoon of butter on top to make the tops shine and help toppings stick. Sprinkle the cheese and bacon rolls with dry parsley, ground pepper, flaky salt, and chopped chives. Serve while still warm. 

FAQ

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📖 Recipe

Cheese and Bacon Rolls No Knead

Mary

These cheese and bacon rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with a gooey cheddar and bacon filling. The dough is an easy no knead recipe packed with flavour, and it turns out super soft and fluffy every time. Rolling these into cinnamon roll shapes gives them beautiful layers of soft dough and gooey cheese.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Resting Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr

Course Baking, Brunch, Rolls

Cuisine American

Servings 12 rolls

Equipment

• ▢
  9 by 13 inch baking pan 9 by 12 inch pan will also work

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Dough

• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7g, or 1 packet
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup warm water
• ▢ 5 cups all purpose flour 600g
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ Black pepper ground (to taste)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ ½ tablespoon dried parsley
• ▢ ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup milk warm
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon mustard ground
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Assembly

• ▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• ▢ 8 strips bacon cooked (see notes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ flaky salt to taste
• ▢ ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ dried parsley to taste

Instructions

 

Dough

• Dissolve yeast, sugar, and water in a medium bowl. Stir and let sit for 5-7 minutes. The top will start looking foamy. If it doesn’t, try with a different container of yeast (it’s not active anymore).
  2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ cup warm water
• In a large bowl, combine sifted flour, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir to combine.
  5 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sea salt, Black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, ½ tablespoon dried parsley
• Make a well in the center and add grated parmesan, eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Add the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms. Start off with a spoon and transition to your hands when it gets thick. Mix so that everything combines (you may need to knead a few times with your hands).
  ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 cup milk
• Drizzle a bit of oil onto the dough and rub it all over so that it doesn’t dry out. Let rise in a warm place (see notes). Rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Filling

• Work on the filling while the dough rises. In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until all the flour is coated in butter and it starts shimmering.
  2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• After a minute, add milk gradually, whisking to prevent any lumps. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
  1 cup milk
• Once thickened, remove from heat and add mustard powder and grated cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth. If not all of the cheddar melts, heat on low heat, whisking well until smooth.
  2 cups cheddar cheese
• Season with mustard powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Let cool to room temperature.
  Salt and pepper, ¼ teaspoon mustard

Assembly

• Punch down the risen dough. Flatten and fold a few times to smooth it out and recombine. Dump onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle, ¼” thick.
• Spread the cheese filling in an even layer onto the rolled out dough. Sprinkle chopped cooked bacon evenly on top and add more grated cheese (you can sprinkle chopped chives too if you like).
  8 strips bacon, 1 cup cheddar cheese
• Roll up the dough like a sausage. Trim the edges to even them out and mark the roll into 12 equal pieces. Cut with a string or unflavoured piece of floss by wrapping the string around the roll and pulling. Place rolls onto a buttered 9” by 12” (or similar size baking pan).
• Let the rolls rise until they puffed up and are filling out the gaps in the pan (about 30 minutes). It’s ok if there are still some gaps left.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the rolls in the middle rack until golden brown and bubbling, 30-35 minutes.
• Once baked, remove from oven and rub a tablespoon of butter on top to make the tops shine and help toppings stick. Sprinkle with dry parsley, ground pepper, flaky salt, and chopped chives. Serve while still warm.
  2 tablespoons chopped chives, 1 tablespoon butter, flaky salt, dried parsley, ground black pepper

Notes

Cooking bacon:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Lay out the bacon on top in a single layer. Place into a cold oven and turn on to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until the bacon cooks to your liking. I like mine nice and crisp.

Drain the grease (throw it out, don't pour it down the drain) and lay the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess moisture.

Best way to let dough rise:

Preheat oven to its lowest temperature setting for 30 seconds then turn it off. You do not want the oven to be hot (over 130°F or 55°C) or it will bake the yeast. Place the dough inside to rise.

Make ahead:

Prepare the rolls the night before and stop before letting the assembled rolls rise (second rise). Wrap baking tray tightly to cover and immediately place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Once you are ready to bake them, let them come to room temperature for 10-20 minutes and rise to fill out any gaps in the pan. Bake as per instructions.

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