These light and fluffy Cheese and Pesto Scrolls are made lighter with the addition of yogurt in the dough. They are filled with punchy pesto, creamy cream cheese, cheese and spinach. Simple ingredients that pack a punch and can be adapted to your liking.
These Cheese and Pesto Scrolls are the perfect afternoon tea, light lunch or side kick to a hearty soup. Fill your kainga (home) with the most amazing aroma with these delicious buns. Lightly season the pokenga (dough) with kūmene (cumin) and make it lighter with the use of miraka tepe (yogurt). The filling has a delicious combination of penu amiami (pesto), kirīmi tīhi (cream) and kōrihi (spinach). Add some tīhi (cheese) and nati kaheu (cashew nuts) and you have yourself the perfect snack or meal. Let’s take a closer look.
A Simple breakdown of the Cheese and Pesto Scrolls:
Start the recipe by combining wai (water), huka (sugar) and īhi (yeast). Once it has activated, add puehu parāoa (flour), kūmene (cumin), tote (salt) and miraka tepe (yogurt). Knead the dough together and allow to rise, until doubled in size. Next, roll out the dough and top it with a mixture of penu amiami (pesto), kirīmi tīhi (cream) and kōrihi (spinach). Add some tīhi (cheese) and nati kaheu (cashew nuts), but the nuts are optional of course. Finally, roll it up in to a to a log, cut in to equal pieces and rise again. Once they have risen, bake until golden and then enjoy the fruits of your labour. Let me know if you make these and what flavour combinations you came up with.
Is a tomato relish or chilli jam flavour combination a bit more your style? No worries, then check out my Cheese and Tomato Scrolls, they use the same base dough with a different take on the filling.
SOME MORE BREAD RECIPES TO TRY:
Feel like something a little sweeter? Why not try my Sticky Maple and Pecan Scrolls or my Samoan Coconut Buns (Pani Popo). Or do you want to make parāoa (bread) but skip the frying part? Try my No-knead Bread Buns or try their cheesy cousin; Cheesy No-knead Bread Buns.
Check out other bread recipes here, because there is so much goodness to try.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Cheese and Pesto Scrolls – Porotiti Tīhi me te Penu Amiami
Ingredients
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- 1 ⅓ C (330 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
- 2 ½ tbsp huka (sugar). This can be replaced with the same amount of honey or maple syrup.
- 1 small tbsp (8g) īhi horo (instant yeast). This can be swapped for 16 g Surebake yeast.
- 4 ¼ C (635 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 2 tsp kumene kuoro (ground cumin). This can be swapped for another spice or left out completely.
- 1 ½ tsp tote (salt, fine)
- ½ C (125 ml) miraka tepe (yogurt, unsweetened)
The Scroll Filling – Te Puku o ngā Porotiti
- ¾ C – 1 C penu amiami (pesto)
- 70 g nati kaheu (cashew nuts, lightly salted). Optional.
- 100 g kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese)
- 50 g kōrihi (spinach)
- Handful of pāhiri māota (fresh basil). This can be swapped your favourite herb. Or swap it for 1 tbsp of dried herbs.
- 250 g tīhi (cheese, use whatever cheese you have, I love a mix).
Instructions
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and huka (sugar) to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the īhi and stir again. Leave for 5 minutes until it is activated and the īhi (yeast) has floated to the top.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour), kūmene (cumin), tote (salt) and miraka tepe (yogurt) in to the yeast mixture.Using a bread and butter knife, mix it all together until a dough forms. Once the dough is roughly incorporated, it is time to knead the dough.
Kneading the Dough – Mahi Pokepoke Parāoa
- If you are using a mixer, place the dough in the mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, knead for 9 – 10 minutes on low-medium speed. If you are kneading by hand, add the dough to a lightly floured bench or table. Knead the dough with the palms of your hands (not with your fingers), for 10 – 12 minutes.
- Try not to add any extra flour when you are kneading. If it is super sticky, only add a tablespoon of flour at a time (up to 3 tbsp) and continue kneading.Remember, a slightly sticky dough is better than a stiff dough.
- Once the dough is lovely and stretchy (see the video for reference), mould in to a ball and add it in to a clean bowl. Cover with a tea towel or bowl cover. Rise for 1 ½ – 1 ¾ hours, the dough should double in size.
Assembly – Mahi Porotiti
- Line a 30 cm x 25 cm tray with baking paper. Note: Try and use a tray this size so the scrolls bake evenly. If the scrolls are close-ish together on the tray they will rise better.
- Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a table or bench. Roll out the risen dough to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
- Spread over the penu amiami (pesto).Sprinkle over the nati kaheu (cashew nuts) and divide small blobs of the kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese) over the dough.
- Roughly chop the kōrihi (spinach) in to small pieces and sprinkle them on top. Grate over the tīhi (cheese) and a sprinkle of pāhiri (basil), or whatever herbs you are using.
- Pōkaia te pokenga (roll up the dough).Cut in to 12 even pieces with a serrated knife and add to the prepared tray, making sure the scrolls are evenly spaced apart.
- Cover with a tea towel and rise again for 45 minutes.As it rises, preheat the oven to 170 °C.
- Once the scrolls have risen, place them in the oven.Bake for 28 – 30 minutes.
- Leave the porotiti (scrolls) to cool for five minutes before serving. These are best served warm. If you have any left over, store in a plastic bag or in a sealed container. Toast them under the grill the next day to bring them back to life.
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