Our traditional Ricotta has the perfect, not too wet consistency, with a light and fluffy texture. This makes it ideal for baking into pastries and tarts. It brings body and creaminess to the filling, without weighing the pastry down which normally leaves you with a soggy bottom.
These rolls take the classic bakery spinach and cheese roll and lift it to a whole new level. Packed with herbaceous fresh dill and mint, studded with pockets of lush Persian Feta and roasted pumpkin. They’re the perfect make-ahead bite for family picnics, entertaining, or easy lunches. Serve them warm, on their own, or alongside a punchy tomato relish.
375g All Butter Puff Pastry
350g Vannella Cheese Fresh Ricotta
200g Spinach, blanched then squeezed out to remove water, roughly chopped
200g Butternut Pumpkin, roasted and roughly chopped
200g Persian Feta, oil drained and peppercorns removed
1/4 bunch fresh Dill, roughly chopped
1/4 bunch fresh Mint, roughly chopped
2 slices Sourdough Bread, preferably stale, with the crust removed
50ml Full Cream Milk
1 Free Range Egg
Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Egg wash, to assemble
Seeds of your choice, to garnish
If using a roll of puff pastry, thaw it in the fridge overnight and do not bring it to room temperature until ready to roll.
Make a "panade" by mushing together the bread, milk, and eggs well by hand, or blitz them together in a food processor. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak in the moisture, then mix the panade with the remaining ingredients for the filling.*
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced and prepare a baking tray with baking paper. Work with the puff pastry while it’s cold and firm, yet pliable. If it’s a particularly warm day and the pastry becomes too soft, you can place it flat on a tray in the freezer for 5–10 minutes prior (a good insurance policy!).
Decide on the portion size of your rolls, then cut the puff pastry in long strips, to the width you desire. Apply the filling mixture along the centre of this strip. Brush the edge with egg wash, then fold your dough over so the two sides meet and press the seam down with a fork to seal. Finally cut the lengths of filled rolls into the portion size you desire.**
When you are ready to bake, place your rolls on the lined baking tray with some room in between to allow the rolls to puff during baking. Brush with egg wash all over and sprinkle generously with seeds of your choice (we used a mix of poppy, fennel, sesame and nigella). Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a beautiful deep golden brown.
*The filling mixture can sit in the fridge, covered, overnight.
**You can freeze the portions at this stage, allowing you to prep in larger quantities and have them ready to bake whenever needed. Allow an additional 5-10 minutes baking time if cooking from frozen.
