Step 1 — Roast the Garlic

1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Slice the top off the whole garlic head to expose the cloves.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in foil and roast for 35–40 minutes until soft and deeply caramelised.

3. Let cool, then squeeze the cloves out and mash into a smooth paste. Set aside.

✦ This can be done a day ahead. Roasted garlic keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Step 2 — Make the Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine warm milk (110°F / 43°C), sugar and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.

✦ If the mixture doesn’t foam your yeast is not active — start again with fresh yeast. Milk must be warm, not hot.

2. Add the egg, softened butter and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix in the bread flour, all-purpose flour and milk powder (if using) until a soft dough forms.

3. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours until doubled in size.

Step 3 — Make the Garlic Butter

1. Mix together the softened butter, roasted garlic paste, parsley, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, chilli flakes and honey until well combined.

2. Reserve 2–3 tbsp of garlic butter separately for brushing after baking.

Step 4 — Roll, Fill & Slice

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle approximately 12×16 inches.

2. Spread approximately ⅔ cup of garlic butter evenly over the entire surface, going all the way to the edges.

3. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixture evenly over the garlic butter.

4. Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Chill the rolled log for 10 minutes — this makes slicing much cleaner.

5. Cut into 12 rolls approximately 1.5 inches thick using a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss for the cleanest cut.

✦ Dental floss gives a perfectly clean spiral cut without squashing the rolls.

Step 5 — Second Proof & Bake

1. Place rolls cut-side up into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30–40 minutes until noticeably puffed.

2. Reduce oven to 375°F / 190°C. Brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle a light layer of extra parmesan on top.

3. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Step 6 — The Garlic Butter Finish

1. The moment the rolls come out of the oven, brush immediately with the reserved garlic butter. Get into every part of each roll while they are still very hot.

2. Top with extra grated parmesan, fresh parsley and chilli flakes if desired.

3. Serve warm while the cheese is still gooey.

✦ This final butter brush is what makes them taste like they came from a restaurant. Do not skip it.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve immediately while the cheese is gooey and the butter is still melted — these are at their absolute best fresh from the oven.

• Pair with a simple tomato soup or roasted tomato dipping sauce for a complete meal.

• Place the whole pan in the centre of the table and let guests pull their own — the most satisfying way to serve them.

• Serve alongside a charcuterie board as a stunning centrepiece.

• Leftovers reheat beautifully — wrap in foil and warm at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or microwave for 20 seconds.

Storage

• Room temperature: cover and store for up to 2 days.

• Refrigerator: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• Freezer — baked rolls: cool completely and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in foil at 350°F.

• Freezer — unbaked rolls: freeze after the second proof. Bake from frozen adding 5–8 extra minutes.