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Sausage and cheese breakfast rolls prepared with a shortcut yeast dough. These rolls are an instant crowd-pleaser. Packed with breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, and egg, the rolls are an extra awesome way to serve up breakfast.

Breakfast rolls with sausage, egg, and cheese filling.

I have an awesome new breakfast for you to try. These are sausage rolls with a simple homemade yeast dough and lots of cheese.

It took me 3 tries to get these breakfast rolls right. Either the dough was too dense or too soft. I wanted them slightly different than the dough I used for cinnamon rolls because the bread needed to be sturdy enough to hold the sausage. But I wanted the dough to also be soft while only requiring one rise. The third time was a charm and you’ll love serving breakfast this way.

Why This Recipe Works

The dough is formulated to require only one rise while still remaining soft and pillowy.
You can use any breakfast sausage you prefer. My husband prefers spicy sausage so sometimes when I make it I’ll use that, other times I stick to mild.
Sharp cheddar really does taste best in the rolls but you can experiment with other cheeses also.

Ingredients

For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

Breakfast sausage: Use whatever you prefer.
Onion: I like yellow onion for the rolls but sweet or white will also work.
Egg: I used one egg as a binder for the filling. It sort of holds it all together.
Cheese: I use sharp cheddar but you can use any type you like best. I highly suggest that you grate the cheese yourself. It just melts better.
Milk: Gives the dough a richer flavor than if you were to use just water. I like a mix of both here.
Sugar: Just a touch to feed the yeast and get it really active.
Yeast: I only tested this recipe with active dry yeast. Make sure your yeast hasn’t expired.
Flour: All-purpose flour is my favorite choice for these rolls. It’s not quite as chewy as bread flour.
Butter: I prefer to make enriched dough with butter and egg. Generally, they turn out softer.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

Make the filling. Cook the sausage and onion, then drain the grease and let it cool completely. Once cooled, mix it with salt, butter, egg, and cheese.
Make the dough. Warm the milk, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir in the yeast and set aside. Once the yeast is foamy, mix with flour, salt, butter, and egg. Knead until a soft dough forms.
Assemble the rolls. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Layer the filling over the dough. Roll the dough up into a log and pinch the seams. Cut into 12 equal-sized rolls and place them in a buttered baking dish.
Let rise. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until double in size.
Bake. Bake the rolls until light golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm.

Jump to Recipe

I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like cinnamon rolls and sausage and eggs, and with today’s recipe, you get the best of both worlds.

If you like this idea then you will love my spicy sausage pizza for dinner! Or my glazed apple cinnamon rolls for dessert.