Usually, Tamara Novacoviç’s Pesto Genovese ends up as the pasta sauce, but this time she gave it a more creative role. Roll! Role?
Text And Photo By Tamara Novacoviç
Usually my Pesto Genovese ends up as the pasta sauce, but this time I gave it a more creative role. I like to make rolls, in general. Most often sweet versions, but this time a savory one. I usually bake them in rectangle pans, all together, I believe they are juicier and softer. Which is why I avoid baking them individually in muffin pans. Also, I like the feeling of togetherness and sharing that comes with these. When you put them all together on the table in front of your friends, everybody digs in, take a roll and pull it apart.
Make these for yourself and your friends, I’m sure they will be a hit. 
Pesto rolls
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Soft, delicate savory rolls with delicious basil pesto filling-surely a hit!
Ingredients
- 5 cups (500 g) all purpose flour
- 1 packet (7 g) instant dry yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm milk
- 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
- 1/2 cup (120 g) pesto genovese, home made or store bought
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp thyme
Instructions
- Combine yeast with sugar and warm milk, leave for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour with salt, add yeast and milk mixture, olive oil and warm water. Knead until soft dough forms. Leave in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Slightly knead risen dough one more time. Roll it out into a rectangle. Brush with pesto sauce and roll up jelly-roll fashion, beginning with a long side. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Put them cut side up into buttered rectangle baking pan and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 Celsius) and bake rolls for about 35 minutes, until nicely golden.
- Melt butter with thyme and brush over hot rolls. Serve warm.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
I’ve made something similar some time… I must make them again! Thanks for reminding me! ;)
I also love the idea of these rolls prepared in a baking dish like this…they look and sound amazing!
Thank you, I am glad we share the same love for these kind of rolls :)
Pesto is a fabulous ingredient for so many things. I love it incorporated in savory breads. This sounds delicious.
I agree, pesto is so versatile. Thanks!
I love the idea of those rolls. I guess you could try it with all sorts of different sauces if you fancied it.
I agree, it would be great to try some other similar sauces as the filling for these rolls!
This makes me really excited :) Excellent idea- definitely a must make!
Hvaka na receptu. Okej pravio sam kod kuce maada mi je trazeno na poslu to da pravim tako sam dosao do vaseg recepta. Okej kod mene je unutra bilo malo zivo ali na nekoj profesionalnoj peci (mozda njihova pica pec) bi ispalo bolje. Jedino sam mozda pogreesio zbog dr etker kvasca trebalo je alevin? Sporo se dizalo tek iza sat vremena krenulo (pa 50,55 minut)….
pa evo dobro je ispalo sve sam pratio sto ste napisali mozda sam izabrao pogresan kvasac dr. etker….mozda je trebao drugi..jer se ovaj dignuo tek od 50 55 minuta…nesto se sporo dizalo…malo mi je zivo ispalo unutra ali…to bi mozda u nekoj pica peci ispalo bolje ili u nekoj plinskoj? jer to su mi na poslu trazili zato sam i dosao do vaseg recepta.
How big of a rectangle are you supposed to roll the dough into? How many rolls does this make?