These light and fluffy Cheese and Pesto Scrolls are filled with punchy pesto, creamy cream cheese, cheese and spinach. These simple ingredients pack a punch and can be adapted to your liking so let's get our scroll on!
These porotiti (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 so let's get baking!
Want a different flavour?
No worries, is a tomato relish or chilli jam flavour combination a bit more your style? Then check out my Cheese and Tomato Scrolls, they use the same base dough with a different filling.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
CHEESE AND PESTO SCROLL INGREDIENT TIPS:
- Instant yeast: Use īhi horo (instant yeast) in this recipe for efficient rising. If you are using Surebake or breadmakers yeast, double the amount.
- Sugar: Use huka hāura (brown sugar), huka mā (white sugar), marahihi māpere (maple syrup) or mīere (honey) in the dough.
- High grade flour: Always use puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour) in bread recipes for the fluffiest result.
- Pesto: This can be any variety you want. Use red or green or use homemade pesto for an even richer flavour.
- Cashew nuts: Completely optional but these add a lovely texture.
- Cheese: I use a pizza mix with different cheeses in it but use what you have. Any old or dry ends of cheese that needs using up, add those in.
- Spinach: Optional but I love adding sneaky vegetables in to my baking.
- Herbs: Fresh or dry herbs work perfectly in this recipe but as always, use what you love.
Expert Advice:
Always give the yeast enough time to activate before adding the dry ingredients. The yeast will float to the top and it will be slightly foamy when it is ready.
Follow the kneading times as they are written because the gluten needs time to develop properly. If you need some more tips, check out this How to Knead Dough post.
When hand kneading use the palm of your hands, not your fingers. The dough and hands seem to get much stickier when it is worked like that, so work those palms in to the dough.
Try and use a tray 25cm x 35cm so the scrolls bake evenly. If the scrolls are close-ish together on the tray they will rise up, yielding a soft bun. If the tray is too large, the scrolls will rise outwards making them dry and flat rather than tall and fluffy.
Step by Step Instructions for Cheese and Pesto Scrolls:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Activate the Yeast:
Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and huka (sugar) to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the īhi and stir again.
If you are using instant yeast, leave it for 5 minutes until the yeast has floated to the top.
If you are using surebake yeast, leave for 10 minutes until the yeast has floated to the top and is slightly floaty.
2. Add the dry ingredients:
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.
3. Knead the Dough:
Once the dough is roughly incorporated, it is time to knead the dough.
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.
Kneading tip:
Try not to add any extra flour when you are kneading. If it is super sticky, only add a tablespoons of flour at a time (up to 3 tbsp) and continue kneading. Remember, a slightly sticky dough is better than a stiff dough.
4. Cover the 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.
5. First rise:
Rise for 1 ½ – 1 ¾ hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
6. Prepare the Tray:
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.
7. Roll out the dough:
Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a table or bench.
Roll out the risen dough to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
8. Add the fillings:
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.
9. Roll up the dough:
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.
10. Second rise:
Cover with a tea towel and rise again for 45 minutes.
11. Bake the Cheese and Pesto Scrolls:
As it rises, preheat the oven to 170 °C.
Bake for 28 – 30 minutes.
12. Serve the Cheese and Pesto Scrolls:
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.
Try some more
Bread Recipes
Parāoa (bread) can lift the mood of any meal.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
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I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Cheese and Pesto Scrolls - Porotiti Tīhi me te Penu Amiami
Equipment
- 1 x Rākau Pokepoke (Rolling Pin)
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 tablespoon (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 tablespoon of dried herbs.
- 250 g tīhi (cheese, use whatever cheese you have, I love a mix).
Instructions
Activate the Yeast:
- Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and huka (sugar) to a large bowl. Whakaranuhia (stir to combine). Add the īhi (yeast) and stir again.
- If you are using instant yeast, leave it for 5 minutes until the yeast has floated to the top. If you are using surebake yeast, leave for 10 minutes until the yeast has floated to the top and is slightly floaty.
Add the Ingredients:
- 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.
Knead the Dough:
- 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.
Kneading Tip:
- Try not to add any extra flour when you are kneading. If it is super sticky, only add a tablespoons of flour at a time (up to 3 tbsp) and continue kneading. Remember, a slightly sticky dough is better than a stiff dough.
Cover the 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.
First Rise:
- Rise for 1 ½ – 1 ¾ hours, the dough should double in size.
Prepare the Tray:
- 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.
Roll out the Dough:
- Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a table or bench. Roll out the risen dough to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
Add the Fillings:
- 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.
Roll up the Dough:
- 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.
Second Rise:
- Cover with a tea towel and rise again for 45 minutes.
Bake the Scrolls:
- As it rises, preheat the oven to 170 °C.
- Once the scrolls have risen, place them in the oven.Bake for 28 – 30 minutes.
Serve the Scrolls:
- 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.
Andrea
Made this today and it turned out great. Tino reka! Delicious! Really easy to follow recipe. Wasn’t sure how I’d go with the kneading and rising but it was all good. I’ll definitely make these again. Thank you!
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Kia ora Andrea, so awesome to hear that. Good on you with the kneading and rising, I know it can be a bit daunting but once you get he hang of it - you can make all sorts of breads.