Makes 24 pull-aparts or rolls

This recipe is from Ellen Haertle, whose blog, Bake it with Booze, is a partner with Sacramento Connect. She adapted it from her cheddar and mustard beer bread recipe (also on her blog).

Haertle writes: "A perfect savory appetizer or a great dinner roll. Perfect size for making ahead and freezing. Great for this fall and winter soups and stews. And, you don't have to do the pull-apart version, just place the pinwheels in the pan and voila: instant dinner rolls!"

INGREDIENTS

Bread:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup beer, preferably dark but really, use whatever you like to drink

2 1/2 cups bread flour, divided (can use all-purpose flour)

1/3 cup rye flour (use additional bread flour if you don't have this)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Filling:

1/4 cup marinated balsamic onions (from The Rustic Fork in Folsom, www.rusticfork.com, or make your own)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon table salt

Several grinds black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese or brie cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Make dough: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup of beer, just until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/3 cup beer. Set aside to cool down slightly. You want the mixture warm (110 to 116 degrees), but not steaming hot.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and table salt. With the mixer on low, pour in the butter-beer mixture, mixing only until the flour is moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. The batter will look lumpy, but will become smooth in a moment. Add the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and all of the rye flour, mixing until just combined. Replace paddle with a dough hook and let the machine knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes on low. Sprinkle in flour as needed.

Oil a medium-large bowl and transfer dough to it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside for 50 to 60 minutes, until doubled. Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Make filling: In the same saucepan that you heated the beer, melt the butter with the Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool, slightly. Grate your brie cheese (if using), cover and refrigerate so that it doesn't get glumpy.

Assemble pull-aparts: Either coat a 12-cup muffin pan lightly with butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.

Divide dough in half. Roll out one portion into a 9-by- 12-inch rectangle, making sure it doesn't stick to the board by lifting sections and re-flouring the board as needed. Brush on half of the butter mixture on the dough. Evenly distribute 1/4 cup of the onions over the dough, right up to the edges. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Roll up like you're making cinnamon rolls. Cut into 1-inch pieces; you should have 12 pieces. With kitchen scissors, cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces. Place the 3 pieces in one muffin cup. Repeat with remaining "pinwheels" of dough.

Repeat rolling, filling and cutting with the other 1/2 of the dough.

Loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap or a towel, and set them aside to rise again for 30 to 45 more minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until puffed and brown. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before flipping rolls out onto a serving plate or cutting board. Serve warm or reheat.

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