Sharp Cheddar cheese and cracked black pepper combine in these hearty rolls to take the flavor right over the top. Great with stews and thick soups! Makes 16 dinner rolls, 12 sandwich rolls, or about 8 hamburger buns.
1 Add the yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.
2 Set aside for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
3 Mix the remaining sugar, bread flour, and vital wheat gluten - set aside.
4 Add the milk, pepper, and 1 cup of the bread flour mixture to the foamy yeast mixture.
5 Beat on low to blend.
6 With mixer on low add the butter, egg, salt, and cheese.
7 Remove the paddle and switch to the dough hook.
8 With the mixer on low slowly add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that pulls aways cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
9 With the mixer on medium (or as recommended by the manufacturer), knead the bread for 3 to 5 minutes, or until stretchy and elastic.
10 Pull the dough out of the mixer and put it on a floured countertop. Knead by hand a minute or so just to make sure the texture is right. When dough is kneaded enough it will feel like an earlobe when you pinch it.
11 Put the ball of dough into a large, greased bowl. Turn to grease the top.
12 Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
13 Remove the dough from the bowl and gently shape into dinner rolls.
14 Place rolls on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, brush the tops gently with melted butter.
15 Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled.
16 Bake in a 375F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Interior temperature will be 185F to 190F. If you like a crispy crust let it bake until the interior temperature is about 200F to 205F. An probe style insta-read thermometer is perfect for this.
17 Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with butter.
