Towards the end of summer I always start daydreaming about all the baked goods I want to make in the fall once the weather cools down and I actually feel motivated to turn on my oven again. And I have been thinking a LOT about these rosemary garlic buns. I made them for the first time this past winter, and they were like little pillowy twists of savory herby heaven. The recipe itself is pretty straightforward, (just a nice yeasted dough stuffed with a mixture of garlic, olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, and salt), but it’s the formation of the twist shape that’s a little bit more complex.
And while the shaping isn’t actually difficult, per se, it’s a bit hard to explain the twisting process in written word, so I’ve included a video in this blog post so you can physically see how to form the fun little spiral shape of the dough (I’ve always been a visual learner, myself). I’ve done my best to explain it in the rosemary garlic buns recipe further down in the post, but I do highly recommend watching the video the get an easy visual of how to twist the dough into these cute little spiral buns.
One of the things I love about this recipe is how versatile it is, too. It’s a wonderful canvas for a variety of different fillings, so you can feel free to mix up the filling recipe below to switch up the herb mixture depending on what you feel like, if you’re not jonesing with the current rosemary garlic buns filling situation. It would be really easy to make a sweet version of these, too, and do a cinnamon + sugar + applesauce filling for autumn, or a nutella filling for something chocolate-y and nutty. Or even a pumpkin puree and chevre one for a savory little Thanksgiving roll. The options are endless! I hope you enjoy it, my friends, and let inspiration take you where it may.
Rosemary Garlic Rolls with Sea Salt
Ingredients
Pre Dough
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons flour
Dough
- 2/3 cup whole milk cold
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Filling
- 1 head garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- grated zest from 1 organic lemon
Topping
- 1 whisked egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of milk
- Some extra flakey sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Pre-Dough
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Whisk together the milk and flour in a small saucepan until smooth. Place over medium low heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency, then remove it from the heat and empty the pre-dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Rosemary Dough
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Add the dough ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer with the pre-dough and mix together at low speed to form a dough. Continue mixing the dough until it's smooth and elastic — for about 10 minutes with the hook attachment at low speed, or you can knead the dough by hand for 16 to 20 minutes.
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Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and place at room temperature out of direct sunlight to rise until doubled in size, (about 1 hour depending on how toasty your house is.)
Rosemary Garlic Filling
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While the dough is rising, you can make the filling. Simply combine the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Assembly + Baking
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NOTE: Please watch the video in the blog post for a detailed visual on assembling + shaping the dough + buns.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a very lightly floured working surface. Pat it down into a rough thick circle shape, and cut into 12 slices as you would a pie.
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Take 1 of the slices, form it into a rough cylinder shape in your hands, and roll it out into a long oval, about 3mm thick. Lightly brush the surface of the oval with the egg wash, then spread about 1 tablespoon of the filling over the oval, leaving some empty space around the edges. Fold the oval in half length-wise.
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Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut 5 slits lengthwise in the center of the dough, making sure not to cut to the edges (WATCH THE VIDEO for a better visual of this).
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Pick up the oval and twist it, then spiral it into a spiral-shape and tuck the end into the center to secure it. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with all of the dough slices.
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Lightly brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with the flake sea salt. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until deeply golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Dough recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour's cinnamon rolls recipe.
Why can’t I share this recipe?
What beautiful garlic buns, Eva. You make the process so stunning.
Of course, I love the vertical video too.
Always gorgeous and always inspiring.
I love the peek from outside the kitchen too.
Wow! This recipe looks so delicious! Your website and photos are gorgeous.
Photos are beautiful!!! Made these Rosemary/Garlic rolls. A few notes, rosemary to garlic ratio is way off. I added more rosemary and I think a bit less than a whole head of garlic. Just tasted like garlic. It would be helpful to give dimensions of the rolled out dough. 1st attempt didn’t look to bad but could of been better with how large to roll each piece of dough. . Also the video wasn’t clear if the dough was to be rolled into a circle or oblong.
Absolutely delicious dinner roll. The last steps with the twist takes a bit of practice but well worth it.
Making them this afternoon for the third time. Thanks for sharing.
Awww I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipe so much Susan! Yes the twist takes a bit of repetition to get the movements down, but it does make the prettiest shape! <3
I was wondering if you use AP flour or bread flour!
Great question! I like using King Arthur Flour’s bread flour for baking, it has a higher protein content which makes for a more golden crumb and sturdier texture 🙂
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