Massively cheesy cheese and garlic pull-apart rolls

Pulling these rolls apart is one thing; tearing yourself away from the vicinity of the tray is a trickier task entirely. Loads of cheese, garlic and bread together in a group hug – there’s nothing more to say.

120g unsalted butter, softened

4 garlic cloves, crushed

500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp sea salt

20g fast-action dried yeast

320ml milk

240g fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 equal chunks, plus an extra 130g, chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

140g grated strong Cheddar cheese

Makes: 12 | Takes: 40 minutes, plus 20 minutes resting

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Mix the butter and garlic together in a small bowl. Transfer the butter to a 30 x 20 x 5-cm roasting tray and place inside the oven for a few minutes to melt – don’t let the garlic colour.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and warm garlic butter from the roasting tray. Make sure you scrape all the garlic into the bowl. Mix until everything comes together into a rough dough. Set aside for 10 minutes covered with a clean cloth. Meanwhile, brush the residual butter left in the tray up the sides.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 10 minutes, or for 8 minutes in an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment. It should be soft and elastic and come away easily from the work surface or the sides of the bowl. Divide into 12 pieces, roughly 75g each, and roll into balls.

Press a ball into a 10-cm disc on a lightly floured surface. Place a mozzarella chunk in the centre, bring the dough up over the cheese and pinch the edges together to seal tightly. Turn over and shape into a ball. Repeat with the rest of dough and mozzarella. Arrange the balls in the roasting tray to make three rows of four equally spaced apart. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for 10 minutes.

Brush the tops of the rolls with the beaten egg, then tuck the remaining mozzarella and the Cheddar cheese into the gaps. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.