Spicy Sausage and Cheddar Yeast Rolls

With his passion for bread, Bill Ryan, founder of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society, is always looking for different ways to create a great tasting roll. After tasting your first one, you will quickly be grabbing for more!

Ingredients

½ pound ground andouille or bulk Italian sausage

• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno chile (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1, ¼ ounce package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons (plus 1 teaspoon) vegetable oil
• 2 cups warm water (about 100 degrees)
• 6 cups bread flour

¾ cup yellow corn meal

• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated white cheddar cheese

Directions

Key ingredients

Salt

1. Brown the sausage in a 12 Inch Skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Add the onion
2. and jalapeño and cook, stirring a few times, for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a paper
3. towel-lined plate to drain and cool to room temperature.
4. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the water. Mix

about 4 minutes to dissolve the yeast.

5. In a large bowl, combine the flour, all but 2 tablespoons of the corn meal, the salt, sausage
6. mixture, and cheese. Mix until it lightly comes together, then add the yeast mixture and mix
7. 7
8. until the dough pulls from the side of the bowl and forms a ball. Remove the dough from the

bowl.

9. Coat the bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, return the dough to the bowl, and turn it to
10. oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area (around
11. 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit) until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
12. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, gently roll it into a
13. narrow loaf about 24 inches long. Cut the dough across into 18 equal pieces. With the palm

of your hand, roll each piece into a round roll.

14. Sprinkle the bottom of a 7 Quart Dutch Oven with the reserved corn meal. Place the rolls in
15. a single layer in the pot, spacing them 1 inch apart, cover with a clean cloth, and let rise for
16. 30 minutes.
17. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife, make an X on top of each
18. roll. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Enjoy warm from the oven.

Notes

From the Lodge Cast Iron cookbook I picked up during my visit to the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron in South Pittsburg, Tennessee (June 2026). Contributed by Bill Ryan. Recommended cookware: Classic Cast Iron.