Bacon and Cheese Rolls (Copycat Roule Lard et Fromage from Epcot’s France Pavilion)
These bacon cheese rolls are the ultimate indulgence! Soft and tender bread rolls filled with creamy béchamel sauce, crispy bacon, and melted Gruyere cheese - a copycat of the beloved Roule Lard et Fromage from Epcot's France Pavilion!
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Equipment
- stand mixer or large bowl
- Rolling Pin
- serrated knife
- baking sheet
- small saucepan + whisk
- plastic wrap + nonstick spray
Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce
- 22 g unsalted butter 1-1/2 TBSP
- 15 g flour 1-1/2 TBSP
- 150 g milk 2/3 cup
- 2 g salt 1/2 tsp
- pepper 1/4 tsp
Bread Dough
- 420 g bread flour 3-1/2 cups
- 237 g water lukewarm, 1 cup
- 8 g instant yeast 2-1/4 tsp
- g honey 2 tsp
- 7 g salt 1-1/2 tsp
Filling
- 340 g thick-cut bacon one 12-ounce package
- 280 g gruyere cheese shredded, about 10 ounces of cheese
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Combine & mix ingredients. Mix all ingredients but the salt into a shaggy dough, just until the ingredients have come together.420 g bread flour, 237 g water, 8 g instant yeast, g honey
- Rest the dough. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flour absorb the water. This helps the dough become more stable, and easier to work with.
- Add the salt. Add the salt & mix the dough on low speed in a stand mixer until the dough comes together.7 g salt
- Mix until dough clears the bowl. The dough will come clean off the sides of the bowl, but it may still stick to the bottom of the mixer. It will be soft and slightly sticky. This should take about 5 minutes at a medium-low speed.
- Dough too sticky? If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Dough too dry? Add more water, 1-2 TBSP at a time.
- Rest dough. Lightly coat a bowl or dough bucket with olive oil or nonstick spray, and rest the dough, covered, in the fridge, for up to 48 hours. This cold ferment allows the dough to develop flavor!
Make the Béchamel Sauce
- Measure + prep milk. Take the milk out of the fridge and measure while you’re making the roux. This helps to remove the chill from the fridge, which helps it incorporate into the hot roux base easier.
- Melt butter. Melt the butter on medium-low heat in a small saucepan.22 g unsalted butter
- Add flour to make roux. Add the flour, stirring to combine, and cook on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until the roux starts to turn a golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn, turning the heat down if it starts browning too fast.15 g flour
- Add milk. Slowly stream the milk in, whisking quickly as you do to prevent large clumps from forming as you’re pouring.150 g milk
- Cook to thicken. Allow the sauce to cook and thicken at medium heat. Cook it until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Season + cool. Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go to make sure the flavor is balanced. Allow the sauce to cool off the heat, then store it in an airtight jar in the fridge while you make the dough.2 g salt, pepper
Cook Bacon + Shred Cheese.
- Preheat oven + prep pan. Preheat oven to 450º F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Bake. Place strips of bacon onto the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes, until cooked but not super crispy.340 g thick-cut bacon
- Shred cheese. While the bacon is cooking, shred the cheese. Set 1/3 of the cheese aside to top the rolls with.280 g gruyere cheese
- Drain + chop bacon. Drain the bacon on paper towels or an oven rack until cooled, then roughly chop it into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. Set 1/3 of the bacon aside to top rolls with, the rest will be put inside the buns.
- Refrigerate reserved cheese and bacon. Store the reserved 1/3 of the cheese and bacon in a sealed container in the fridge while the rolls rest and rise.
Assemble + Bake Rolls.
- Roll dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. The rectangle should be about 15 inches by 12 inches, or slightly larger.
- Spread sauce. Gently spread the béchamel sauce onto the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch of a border at the free edge.
- Sprinkle cheese + bacon. Generously sprinkle 2/3 of the shredded cheese and 2/3 of the bacon onto the dough, taking care to leave the free edge without toppings.
- Roll + slice. Roll the dough up tightly into a log, making sure to pinch the free edge to seal the dough together. Slice into 1-1/2 - 2-inch slices, depending on how large you want the rolls to be. See slicing notes for more details!
- Rest + rise. Place rolls in a parchment paper or non-stick sprayed pan, a few inches apart. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray and allow the rolls to rise for 30-60 minutes, or until they are almost doubled in size.
- Preheat oven. 30 minutes before the rise is finished, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Add reserved toppings + bake. Sprinkle the rolls with the reserved cheese and bacon, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown in color and the cheese is melty on top.
- Cool, serve, + store. Allow the rolls to cool for 5 -10 minutes, then serve. Once fully cooled, store in an airtight storage container for 2-3 days at room temperature, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
🔆 top tip
Don't skip the slow fermentation! The 24-48 hour rest in the fridge allows the flavor to develop and deepen, giving it that sourdough-like tang. It's a flavor payoff that's worth the patience.ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- dough is too sticky to roll - if your dough is sticking to the counter or rolling pin, lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. But don't go overboard—you want just enough to prevent sticking without making the dough dry and tough.
- rolls are browning too fast - if the tops are getting too dark before the centers are fully cooked, tent them loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This allows them to finish cooking without burning.
- filling is leaking out - make sure you're leaving that ½-inch border on the edge without sauce, and seal the seam well when rolling. Also, don't overfill! A thin layer of béchamel and a generous (but not excessive) amount of cheese and bacon works best.
- rolls didn't rise properly - if your rolls didn't double in size during proofing, your kitchen might be too cold. Try proofing them in a warmer spot (like an oven with just the light on) or give them more time. Cold dough straight from the fridge needs that full 60-90 minutes to wake up and rise. Also, be sure to check the expiration date of your yeast! Expired yeast and kitchen temperature are the two most likely culprits for dough that’s not rising.
🧊 freezer tips
These bacon cheese rolls freeze beautifully! For best results, par-bake them until lightly golden but not fully browned. Allow them to cool completely, then store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, place frozen rolls in a preheated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through and golden brown. For even better results, add a small pan of water to the oven to create steam, which keeps the rolls moist and tender. You can also use a steam oven if you've got one!Nutrition
Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 16gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 652mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 298IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 259mgIron: 1mg
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Keyword: buns, fall, snack, spring, summer, The Feels, The Oomph, The Wow, Mom!, winter