Ham and Cheese Rolls
These Ham and Cheese Rolls are layered with savory ham and melty cheese, rolled up in soft, buttery crescent roll dough, and baked with a savory poppy seed butter sauce. Using my homemade crescent roll dough makes these rolls extra soft and fluffy, with a delicious ham and cheese layer in every bite.
You’ll love this recipe because it takes the classic, easy ham and cheese combo (often with store bought Kings Hawaiian Rolls) and make it even better with homemade crescent roll dough! Instead of shaping these like traditional crescent rolls, they are filled and rolled like cinnamon rolls just like I do for my pizza rollups. These buttery, fluffy ham and cheese rolls are the perfect appetizer, after school snack, or easy dinner. Warm, cheesy, and delicious, they’re a huge hit with both kids and adults!
Quick Look: Ham and Cheese Rolls
- Fermentation Type: Instant Yeast
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rise Time: 105-150 minutes
- Bake Time: 24-28 minutes
- Total Time: 150-200 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Calories: 498 kcal
- Cook Method: Baked at 350°F
- Flavor & Texture: Fluffy, savory & cheesy
- Difficulty: Easy bread recipe
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Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Rolls
- Homemade Crescent Dough – Using the same dough as my viral Crescent Rolls, it makes them extra soft, delicious, and adds a comforting, adding a homemade element. See my crescent roll recipe post for detailed list of ingredients, substitutions, and how they work to make super soft rolls.
- Ham – I prefer black forest ham or honey ham, but you can use your favorite. This is also a great recipe if you’re looking for what to make with leftover ham. Use thinner sliced ham to make it easier to roll up the rolls.
- Cheese – soft, melty cheeses like Swiss, Provolone, or Gruyere work best. If you get them from the deli, make sure they’re sliced thin for easier rolling.
- Dijon Mustard Sauce – A simple, tangy sauce that adds just the right amount of savory flavor.
- Poppy Seeds – Add a subtle nutty flavor, light crunch, and the classic finishing touch.
- Mayonnaise – adds creaminess.
- See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
While this recipe has some unique ingredients that really set these crescent rolls apart from other recipes, there are some substitutions and variations you can use if you don’t have access to one or more ingredient.
- Dough – Using the crescent roll dough gives the rolls a slightly sweet, buttery flavor, but you can use another homemade dough like my Parker House Rolls dough or my Easy Pizza dough recipe. If using pizza dough, one batch will make 1 dozen rolls.
- Add veggies – Add chopped spinach or kale for an even more filling ham and cheese roll.
- Different meats – Try thinly sliced turkey instead of ham.
- Mayonnaise – If you prefer, you can leave out the mayonnaise.
How to make Ham and Cheese Rolls
Mixing the dough
Step 1: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, milk, yeast, sugar, salt, potato flakes, eggs, shortening, butter, and half the flour. Mix on low, with the dough hook attachment, until all the ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
Step 2: Gradually add the remaining flour, while the mixer is on low speed. Add about 1/2 cup flour at a time and let it fully incorporate before adding more. You may or may not need the entire amount of flour.
Step 3: Knead the dough on low speed for 10-15 minutes, or until it reaches a texture where you can stretch it several inches apart without it tearing. This is called windowpane (a technique I use a lot, especially for enriched doughs like my Brioche Hamburger Buns). This is such a great dough to work with! I also use it for other recipes like Cinnamon Rolls, Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls, and S’mores Sweet Rolls!
Windowpane Test
Using the windowpane test is a technique used by bakers to see if their dough has kneaded long enough and developed a strong gluten structure. Gluten holds the bread together as it rises and bakes. When the dough is kneaded properly, you should be able to take a piece and stretch it apart a few inches without it tearing, with it even becoming translucent (like looking through a windowpane). This is especially important in highly enriched doughs like brioche.
- Wet your fingers with water.
- Pinch a piece of dough off.
- Gently stretch it apart a few inches.
- If it tears easily, knead for 1-2 more minutes and check again.
- If it can be stretched thin without tearing, kneading is done.
Let the Dough Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Step 4: Spray a large bowl with nonstick baking spray and place the dough inside. Cover and put it in a warm place in your kitchen to rise until it doubles in size. Allowing the dough to bulk ferment will improve the texture of the dough and make it easier to roll out.
Roll Out the Dough and Add the Ham and Cheese
Step 5: Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to a rectangle of about 14×18 inches (35×45 cm). Spread the mayonnaise over the dough, leaving about a 1 inch border around the edges.
Step 6: Lay the sliced ham down on top of the mayonnaise in an even layer, followed by the sliced cheese. Avoid overfilling as this will make them difficult to roll up.
Roll and Cut the Ham and Cheese Rolls
Step 7: Starting with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough up tightly with the ham and cheese inside, making one large log.
Step 8: Pinch the ending edge of the dough to the roll to close the seam. Transfer to a cutting board before cutting.
Step 9: Use a sharp knife to lightly score the rolls to mark out 12 equal slices. Cut the rolls and place them in the prepared pan in 3 rows of 4.
Let the Rolls Rise (Final Proof)
Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise about 50% in size, until they’re puffy, about 45-60 minutes. Towards the end of the rise time, begin preheating your oven to 350°F/175°C.
How do I know when my ham and cheese rolls are ready to bake?
The warmer your kitchen, the faster the rolls will rise. Look for the ham and cheese rolls to be puffy and have risen about 50% in volume.
Use the poke test to feel if the dough has risen enough.
- Use your fingertip to gently poke the side of the roll. It should leave an indent that slowly springs back.
- If it still feels rather dense, let it rise a bit more.
- If you poke the dough and it leaves an indent that never springs back, and the dough feels like it could be easily deflated, it has risen too long and should be baked immediately.
Make the Poppy Seed Butter Sauce
Step 10: Just before baking, in a small bowl whisk together the melted butter, Dijon mustard, minced onion, kosher salt, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds. Mix until combined and smooth. Pour over the rolls, coating the tops evenly.
Bake the Ham and Cheese Rolls
Step 11: Bake at 350°F, uncovered, for about 24-28 minutes, until golden brown. If you’re unsure if they are done, insert an instant read thermometer to the center of a roll – it should be 195°F-200°F.
Remove from the oven and brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving warm. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead Ham and Cheese Rolls
- Option 1: Make the dough ahead. You can mix the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Immediately after mixing, put it into a large greased bowl, with enough room for it to double in size. Cover and place in the refrigerator. It will continue to rise in the fridge, but the colder temperature will slow it down. When you’re ready, you can take the dough straight from the refrigerator without having to let it rest first.
- Option 2: Freeze before baking. After rolling up and slicing rolls, place on baking sheet and flash freeze. Then store in a zip top bag in freezer for up to 4 weeks. Thaw, rise, and bake (about 3-5 hours, depending on how warm kitchen is).
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes with Crescent Roll Dough
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Orange Rolls
- Cranberry Orange Rolls
- Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Wreath
- S’mores Rolls
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Ham and Cheese Rolls Recipe
Ham and Cheese Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 177 g warm water (¾ cup) around 90°F/32°C
- 60 g warm milk (¼ cup) around 90°F/32°C
- 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 50 g sugar (¼ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 20 g dry potato flakes (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg (50 g) room temperature
- ¾ cup warm whole milk about 95°F
- 45 g butter flavored shortening (¼ cup)
- 28 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons) softened
- 360 g bread flour (3 cups)
Filling
- 60 g mayonnaise (¼ cup)
- 12 ounces thinly sliced ham (340 g) about 12 slices
- 12 ounces sliced Swiss or provolone cheese (340 g) about 12 slices
Topping:
- 114 g unsalted butter (½ cup/1 stick) melted
- 1 tablespoon minced onion (8 g)
- 30 g Dijon mustard (2 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (15 g)
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (6 g)
- 28 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons) melted
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ingredients for the crescent roll dough: the water, milk, instant yeast, sugar, salt, dry potato flakes, egg, shortening, butter, and half the flour. Mix with the dough hook attachment, on low speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.177 g warm water60 g warm milk1½ teaspoons instant yeast50 g sugar¾ teaspoon fine sea salt20 g dry potato flakes1 large egg¾ cup warm whole milk45 g butter flavored shortening28 g unsalted butter180 g bread flour
- While on low speed, gradually add the remaining flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. You may or may not need the entire amount of flour. You can stop the mixer and check the dough by lightly tapping on it with your fingertip – it should feel soft, slightly tacky, but not wet. *When in doubt, it’s always best to go lighter on the flour. You can always add more flour later, but you can’t take flour away. Too much flour in your dough will give you dry, dense rolls.180 g bread flour
- Knead the dough on low speed for about 8 minutes, or until it's smooth and cohesive. It should be mostly cleaning the sides of the bowl. If you take a piece of dough, you should be able to stretch it a few inches apart without it tearing.
Bulk Fermentation
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick baking spray. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it the bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
Shape & Fill
- Spray a 9×13-inch (22×33-cm) pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured work surface. Roll the dough to a rectangle, about 14×18-inches (35×45-cm).
- Spread the mayonnaise over the dough. Lay the sliced ham over the mayonnaise, followed by the sliced cheese. 60 g mayonnaise12 ounces thinly sliced ham12 ounces sliced Swiss or provolone cheese
- Starting with the edge nearest you, roll the dough up tightly with the ham and cheese, making one large roll. Pinch the ending edge of the dough to the roll to close the seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal sized pieces. Place the rolls in the pan – there should be 3 rows of 4.
Final Proof
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and all the rolls to rise about 50% in size, until they're puffy, about 45-60 minutes. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
Mix the Topping
- Just before baking the rolls, in a small bowl, whisk together the butter, Dijon mustard, minced onion, kosher salt, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Mix until combined and smooth. Pour over the rolls, coating the tops.114 g unsalted butter1 tablespoon minced onion30 g Dijon mustard½ teaspoon kosher salt1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Bake
- Bake the rolls, uncovered, for 24 to 28 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. If you're unsure if they're done, insert an instant read thermometer to the center of a roll – it should be at least 195°F/90°C.
- Remove from the oven and brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving warm.28 g unsalted butter
Notes
- Freeze unbaked rolls: You can freeze them unbaked. After rolling them up, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for several hours, until frozen solid. Transfer the frozen rolls to a zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. To bake, place the frozen rolls onto a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 3 to 4 hours. Pour poppy butter sauce over the rolls just before baking.
- Make Ahead options: After kneading the dough, place it in a large covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out to shape the ham and cheese rolls.
- Storing: Once completely cooled, wrap the rolls individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat, uncovered, in the microwave.
- Dough Ingredient Substitutions: You can swap out the butter flavored shortening for equal parts butter (in addition to the other butter in the recipe).