Cheddar Butter Croissant Roll

Headnote

This is a compact, laminated roll with the open crumb and crisp shell of a proper croissant, shaped for a more direct expression of butter and cheese. The dough is enriched only enough to carry structure, then rolled with cheddar so the interior bakes into a savoury, molten seam. It should emerge deeply golden, light in the hand, and cleanly layered at the bite.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Viennoiserie

Cuisine or origin: French-inspired

Course type: Breakfast or savoury snack

Yield: 1 roll

Serving size: 95 g

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 18 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Difficulty: Advanced

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Small saucepan

Rolling pin

Baking tray

Parchment paper

Pastry brush

Wire rack

Oven

Ingredients

Dough

Wheat flour 38 g

Water 12 g, warm

Milk 10 g, lukewarm

Sugar 2 g

Yeast 1 g

Egg 5 g, lightly beaten

Salt 1 g

Butter 8 g, softened

Lamination and filling

Butter 14 g, cold but pliable

Cheddar cheese 4 g, finely grated

Finish

Egg 1 g, for glazing

Method

1. Combine the flour, water, milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead for 4 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Work in the softened butter and knead for 2 minutes more, until fully absorbed and the dough feels supple rather than greasy.

2. Cover and rest the dough at room temperature for 20 minutes. It should relax without rising significantly.

3. Flatten the cold butter between two sheets of parchment into a neat rectangle. The butter should remain cool and bendable, not brittle.

4. Roll the dough into a small rectangle, place the butter in the centre, and enclose it fully. Roll gently to a thin, even rectangle, then fold in thirds. Chill the folded dough for 20 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding once more, then chill again for 20 minutes. The dough must remain cool, with the butter held in distinct layers.

5. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 cm by 8 cm. Scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the surface, leaving a narrow border on one long edge. Roll tightly from the opposite long edge into a compact cylinder, sealing the border beneath the roll.

6. Place the roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray. Brush lightly with the remaining egg. Proof at room temperature for 35 to 45 minutes, until slightly puffy and aerated but still firm enough to hold its shape.

7. Heat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the roll is deeply golden, the exterior is crisp, and the cheese has melted into the layers without leaking excessively. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Plating and serving

Serve the roll warm, set slightly off-centre on a small plate or board. Present it whole or halved on the diagonal to reveal the laminated crumb and the cheese seam. The finish should be crisp outside, tender within, with the cheddar lending a clean savoury depth.

Professional notes

Keep the dough cool at every stage; warm butter will erase the layers. The cheddar must be finely grated so it melts into the spiral rather than breaking the structure. Bake until the crust is properly coloured, not merely set, or the interior will read bready rather than laminated.