Cheesy Pesto Swirl Buns

A suggestion from one of my sisters resulted in this delightful recipe for Cheesy Pesto Swirl Buns. With all the necessary ingredients already at hand, making this recipe was a breeze.

The buns feature a yeasted dough that is rolled out and generously spread with pesto, cheese, and some red peppers. After rolling up the dough, with the filling artfully swirled inside, it is sliced into 12 pieces, ready to for baking into perfect buns. The process, while time-consuming, is actually quite straightforward.

Flexibility

This recipe offers immense flexibility when it comes to the filling. Although my version contains classic pesto, alternatives such as sun-dried tomato pesto would also be a great choice. Similarly, you can substitute my Gruyere cheese for Cheddar or a similar cheese. Pecorino or Grana Padano can serve as excellent replacements for Parmesan as well. The same applies to the peppers; you can use them, swap them out, or omit them entirely. However, I must admit that the combination as presented in the recipe works wonderfully well.

Time

The recipe does require some time, as the dough needs to proof until it doubles in size. Subsequently, the filled swirl buns have to undergo another rise until they approximately double in size as well. Nonetheless, this time is primarily spent waiting. Baking only takes about 35 minutes, and shortly afterward, the most delicious, soft, and flavourful buns are ready to be enjoyed. While a baking tray works perfectly for baking the buns, a 13×9 inch roasting pan also serves as an excellent alternative.

My Cheesy Pesto Swirl Buns

My buns were in the oven for 35 minutes on a baking tray, and they baked to perfection, rising beautifully and achieving a lovely golden colour. I allowed them to cool on the tray for 10 minutes. They I let them cool more or a wire rack before sampling one. The taste was exceptional, and the buns were incredibly light and soft. These buns are simply perfect for serving at lunch, breakfast, or even as dinner rolls. They work particularly well, I think, with an Italian style pasta dish.

Another great recipe is American Style Cheesy Scones.

Cheesy Pesto Swirl Buns

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: BreadCuisine: InternationalDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time(incl waiting)

3

hours 

Cooking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• 
  450g ( 3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup)bread flour
  

• 7g (2 1/2 tsp) instant yeast

• 4g (scant tsp) caster sugar

• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

• 300ml(1 1/4cups)  lukewarm water

• 190g(3/4 cup)  pesto of choice – less is ok

• 100g(1 cup) grated gruyere cheese, or cheddar or other melting cheese

• 50g(3/4) grated parmesan or pecorino

• 100g(2/3 cup) roasted red peppers drained and patted dried then chopped

• 9g(1 1/2tsp salt

• beaten egg for brushing(optional)

Directions

• 
  Place the water, oil, yeast and sugar in a stand mixer and mix together.
• Add half the flour and mix until it comes together.
• Add the salt and the remaining flour, mixing until it is a shaggy dough.
• Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and springy, adding a little more flour if you think it is too wet.
• Form the dough into a ball and cover to proof until doubled in size, between 1 and 2 hours.
• Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle 12 x 16 inches(30 x 40cm).
• Spread the pesto on the surface and cover with both cheeses and the peppers.
• Roll the dough up from the long side, enclosing the filling.
• Using a sharp knife cut the roll into 12 slices.
• Place each slice on a lined baking tray, sides greased, leaving a gap for proofing.  Mine measured just about 9 x 13 inches once on the tray.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave to double again, so the buns are touching.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/390F
• Brush with beaten egg, if you wish.
• Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Leave on the tray for 10 minutes before serving, or transferring to a rack to cool further.