Peach Rosemary Breakfast Rolls

The summer really is flying by, isn’t it?

I can’t believe we’re at the half-way mark of August already. Inevitably, the end of summer lights a fire beneath me to make and eat all of the ‘summer’ foods as quick as I can before they’re out of season and the Fall’s here all over again.

I love finding new recipes to try that then give me options to be able to try out yet another recipe. I’ve done it several times before on the blog, with great results. Today’s another one of them.

In last week’s post, I made Peach Rosemary Jam, as a nod to my favorite summer snack: the peach.

Peach jam is always a great thing to have on hand in your fridge for toast or biscuits, or scones but as soon as I first tasted the finished product, I knew it was too good to not at least try to incorporate into something else. Jam is a great for fillings, whether it’s mini pies or tarts or today’s recipe: breakfast rolls.

Since my sister doesn’t like cinnamon rolls (sigh), I’m always trying to experiment with different types of breakfast rolls with different fillings that I can make that still remind me of them enough to where I don’t miss them too much. I’ve had some pretty great results with it thus far and I’m pleased to say that today I’m making another addition to that growing list.

To minimize the labor time for these, I recommend splitting it up over two days. Make the jam at least one day ahead; it could not be easier to put together, but it’ll taste the best when it’s had time to have an overnight rest in the fridge so that the texture can set and the flavors can develop.

After the jam is done, you proceed the same way you would with any sweet roll recipe. I really wanted the jam to be star of these, but I did add a tiny bit of cinnamon to the dough.

Honestly? It’s like getting to eat peach pie for breakfast.

Final note: I did give a recipe for icing for these just in case you wanted the full ‘breakfast roll’ experience. I iced some and left some plain just for comparison, and honestly, I don’t think they need the icing at all. They’re plenty delicious enough on their own.

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Peach Rosemary Breakfast Rolls

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 teaspoons active yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
2 large eggs
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon white sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Filling

2 lb. yellow peaches, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

For Icing (Optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
A few tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions

For Dough

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk, then sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of white sugar on top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until proofed and frothy.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the butter, eggs, 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and 1 cup of flour with the yeast mixture until smooth and combined.

Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour, along with the salt and cinnamon. Knead for about 5 minutes, until a soft slightly sticky dough is formed.

Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and knead with your hands about 5 more minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable. Grease a separate bowl and punch the dough down into it, then flip it back up so that both sides are oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

For Filling (I recommend making this a day ahead)

Place the peaches in a large nonreactive skillet. Stir in the sugar and rosemary. Let sit, stirring once or twice, until the sugar begins to dissolve, 5 to 10 minutes.

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high, and cook, stirring frequently, until the peaches start to break down, the liquid begins to evaporate, and the mixture begins to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. If you find that the chunks of fruit are too big for your liking, use a potato masher to help break them down.

Continue to cook until the jam has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes more; it is done when you can pull a spatula through the jam and the space you clear stays open for 2 or 3 seconds. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools, so make sure to stop a little shy of your desired thickness.

After it has cooled to room temperature, place jam in the fridge to chill.

For Assembly: Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and roll out to a large rectangle, about 10 x 15 inches. Use a spatula to spread about heaping 1 cup of the peach jam filling on top of the dough. Roll the dough up from the long end tightly to keep filling from spilling out. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide in half. Divide each half into 6 pieces so that you have 12 rolls. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake rolls for 35 minutes on the middle rack or until dough inner temp reaches 190°F. Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the icing together in a bowl. Pour/spoon some of the icing on top of the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving, but they are best eaten still warm.