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Soft And Cheesy Mozzarella Stuffed Bread

Soft and cheesy mozzarella stuffed bread baked into golden pull-apart rolls with a sweet-hot honey glaze. Molten 1-inch mozzarella centers melt and stretch, while the milk bread domes turn tender and lightly caramelized in a skillet.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

milk bread dough
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 cup warm milk
  • 0.25 cup warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp softened butter
filling
  • 12 fresh mozzarella cubes about 1 inch each
honey hot sauce glaze
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce Frank's
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
to finish
  • 1 flaky salt
  • 1 fresh thyme

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the milk bread dough
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar. Add warm milk, warm water, egg, and softened butter, then knead for 8 min until smooth and elastic.
  2. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour, until noticeably puffy and doubled in size.
Stuff the rolls
  1. Punch down the risen dough to release air, then divide into 12 pieces. Flatten each piece, place a mozzarella cube in the center, and seal tightly by pinching firmly all around.
  2. Grease a 9x13 pan or place a cast iron skillet on the counter. Set the rolls seam-down in the skillet in a tight, even layer.
Glaze, bake, and finish
  1. Let the rolls rise for 45 min. While they rise, warm the honey hot sauce glaze, then brush the tops with half of the glaze.
  2. Bake at 375°F for 22–25 min until the rolls are golden on top. Brush immediately with the remaining honey hot sauce glaze after they come out of the oven.
  3. Finish by sprinkling flaky salt and fresh thyme over the hot rolls. Let cool briefly so the centers are molten but less runny before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: seal the mozzarella very well by pinching the dough firmly—any gaps can cause it to leak out. Refrigerate leftover rolls in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm in the oven at 300°F until soft. Freezing is yes: freeze tightly wrapped up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm. For a different dietary option, use a plant-based butter and dairy-free mozzarella-style cubes in the same amounts.