Tomato-Basil Pull-Apart Rolls

September 2024. Fall in Memphis, and I am 65, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Marcus and Angela in Whitehaven, building their family, their house full of the sounds I remember from our own early years — a baby's laugh, a spouse's voice, the daily music of people learning to live together. Naomi growing with the speed of childhood, each visit revealing a new word, a new capability, a new expression that catches my breath because it echoes someone I lost.

I made smoked chicken this week — a simple cook that belies its depth. Rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika, smoked at 275 over hickory for three hours. The skin was mahogany, the meat juicy, and the first bite carried the kind of flavor that makes you close your eyes, which is the highest compliment food can earn: the involuntary closing of the eyes, the body's admission that what it's tasting is too good to see.

Another week in the book. Another seven days of tending fires — the one in the smoker, the one in the marriage, the one in the family, the one in the church. Each fire needs something different: wood, attention, food, faith. But the tending is the same for all of them: show up, add what's needed, wait patiently, trust the process. Low and slow. Always. Low and slow.

I’ve always believed that smoked meat deserves good bread beside it — something to catch the juices, something to slow you down and keep you at the table a little longer. With Naomi on my mind and the hickory smoke still faint in the backyard air, I wanted something warm from the oven to round out the plate. These Tomato-Basil Pull-Apart Rolls don’t ask much of you, but they give back generously — soft, fragrant, and built for sharing, which is exactly the kind of recipe a fall evening in Memphis calls for.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup warm water (110°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir gently and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Make the dough. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and garlic powder to the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
Prepare the filling. Stir together the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl.
Shape the rolls. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece slightly, place a small spoonful of filling in the center, and pinch the edges up to seal. Roll gently into a ball.
Arrange and second rise. Place rolls seam-side down in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, edges touching. Cover and let rise another 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake. Bake for 22–25 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Brush immediately with melted butter.
Serve. Pull apart and serve warm alongside smoked chicken, soup, or any meal that deserves good bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tomato-Basil Pull-Apart Rolls — The Bread That Belongs on a Fall Table