Cheese and onion scrolls and changing my mind after the first bite

The minute I pulled these rolls out of the oven I decided not to publish the recipe on the blog – they did not look cute like the ones on the magazine, and being the perfectionism-freak that I am I got really disappointed at how they’d turned out. But the smell in my kitchen was so wonderful that I felt the urge to try one scroll, and that was when I completely changed my mind: it tasted so delicious I would have to share the recipe with you. I immediately grabbed my camera because the rolls were so good I did not think there would be any left for the photos afterwards. :D

The dough is super soft and that made it difficult to shape the scrolls, but I advise you not to add more flour to it, even if you feel tempted to: you’ll love the oh, so tender texture of the rolls, and that great texture did not change after the bread cooled down.

Cheese and onion scrolls
adapted from the always gorgeous and delicious Australian Gourmet Traveller

1 onion, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon (255g) all purpose flour
¾ cup (105g) whole wheat flour
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 ¼ teaspoons (7g) dried yeast
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
150g fontina cheese, coarsely grated, divided use
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (120ml) whole milk, plus extra for brushing
1/3 cup (80ml) water

Stir onion and oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until tender (4-5 minutes), set aside. Combine flours, sugar, yeast, chives, 50g of the fontina cheese, onion mixture and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Warm milk and water in a saucepan over low heat until lukewarm, add to flour mixture, knead until smooth and elastic (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a lightly oiled large bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (45 minutes-1 hour).
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang in two opposite sides.
Knock back dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 20x40cm (8x16in) rectangle. Scatter with remaining fontina cheese then roll to form a long cylinder. Cut into 8 pieces, place cut-side down onto prepared pan, 1cm (½in) apart. Cover and stand until slightly risen (10-15 minutes). Brush tops with milk and bake until golden (20-25 minutes). Serve warm (they tasted delicious at room temperature, too).

Makes 8