Salty cheese and za’atar is one of the great Israeli combinations. Here it’s tucked inside a soft, rich dough that’s a pleasure to work with, for cheese stuffed bread rolls with a golden sesame crust.
Every bite balances a pillowy homemade roll with a creamy, salty filling that melts in your mouth.
The dough uses milk, water, and oil, so it bakes up extra airy and stays soft after baking. Even after freezing.
What makes these special is the coating. Each roll gets dipped in date syrup and water, then rolled in sesame. You get a lightly sweet, golden crust and an amazing smell.
I serve them for dinner, for guests, or as a snack through the day. They look like a lot of work, but they’re really simple.
My tip: Work with oiled hands. The dough should be very soft and a little sticky, so don’t add extra flour.
These Jerusalem-style cheese stuffed bread rolls are made from a soft milk-and-oil yeast dough stuffed with feta, cream cheese, and za’atar. Knead 10–15 minutes, rise about 1 hour, fill and shape 7 rolls, dip in date syrup water and sesame, rise 15–20 minutes, and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20–25 minutes.
Jerusalem-Style Stuffed Rolls with Feta and Za’atar
Ingredients
Method
- In a bowl, mix the lukewarm milk, water, sugar, and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Add the oil and stir.
- Add the flour and knead for 10–15 minutes, until the dough is very soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. Oiled hands help. Don’t add extra flour.
- Add the salt and knead for about 1 more minute.
- Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: mash together the feta, cream cheese, and a little za’atar until you have a smooth, firm mixture.
- Divide the dough into 7 equal balls. Flatten each ball, place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, and seal well.
- Turn each roll seam side down and flatten it slightly.
- In a bowl, mix the date syrup and water. Dip each ball in the mixture, then coat it in sesame seeds on all sides.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a little space between them. Cover and let rise for 15–20 minutes.
- Use your fingers to press four indentations into the center of each roll.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 20–25 minutes, until the rolls are golden, puffed, and soft.
Notes
- Keep the dough soft. Oil your hands instead of adding flour.
- Add the salt at the end of kneading, as written.
- Seal each roll well so the cheese stays inside while baking.
- They freeze well and stay soft after thawing.
- Bulgarian feta → any brined feta. Crumble it well and drain off excess liquid.
- Date syrup (silan) → honey.
- Neutral oil → canola, sunflower, or another mild oil.
Frequently asked questions
Bulgarian cheese is a salty, brined white cheese popular in Israel. Any brined feta is a good substitute in the US.
Silan is date syrup, a thick, naturally sweet syrup made from dates. Honey works in its place for the coating.
Yes. The dough stays soft even after freezing. Freeze cooled rolls in a sealed bag and rewarm in the oven before serving.
Usually the seam wasn’t sealed tightly. Pinch it closed well and place each roll seam side down.
Yes. Mix the feta, cream cheese, and za’atar and keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to shape the rolls.
