Sourdough scrolls

Let's see if we can beat the summer heat, and get a few more rounds of bread making in! A different way to use my sourdough bread recipe, is by baking scrolls. In particular, my kids love the vegemite and cheese variety.

I make a batch a week, so they can each have one for their lunchboxes. Wrapped individually, they're kept in the freezer. By the first meal-break, they've thawed completely, and have lovely soft, sourdough scrolls to enjoy! They're also handy for my husband to pop in his gym bag. Or any time we need to spend several hours in town, and don't want to buy food.

After second rise - ready to start shaping

First, you'll need to make the Sourdough bread recipe (found on this page). After the second rise, instead of shaping into a normal bread loaf, you'll treat the dough a little differently.

Like a giant pizza

With a rolling pin, make a rectangle approx 25cm x 45cm (10" x 18") long. Spread a generous amount of vegemite (or any kind of yeast spread) over the surface, then sprinkle with grated cheese of your choice. My kids like a soft, tasty cheese.

Rolled up

Using a scraper tool (see yellow tool, below) gently pry dough off the bench in a strip, then roll the dough over itself. Do a little at a time, by scraping back the length of the dough, until you can gradually turn it into a Swiss roll, sausage shape.

Cut once

Using the largest, sharp knife you have (or a bread tool designed especially for cutting dough) cut the roll in half, in one clean, downwards movement. Don't saw into the dough, or you'll make a mess of the roll.

Cut the roll again, into quarters.

12 pieces

Finally, cut each quarter, into thirds. By the end, you should have approximately 12 equal pieces of dough. I like to give my end pieces, a little more size than the rest. Simply because they taper off, and have less dough in them. But don't make them huge.

Starting placement

Next, grease your lamington cake pan (24cm x 30cm or 10" x 12") and start positioning your scroll pieces, inside. My two end pieces always go in the centre - flat side, facing up. This is the best place to support them, when the scrolls rise. As they don't have a flat bottom, like the rest.

Ready to prove (or start rising)

Scrolls should fit an even 3 x 4, giving a total of 12. There is more to the positioning to observe, but it's best demonstrated after they've finished rising, for about an hour. Pictures coming soon.

For the hour of rising, preheat your oven to 50 degrees Celcius (your ovens lowest heat setting) for 5 minutes, then switch off. The oven should also have a shallow bowl, filled with boiling water, at the very bottom. Scrolls sit on the middle shelf, while the bowl underneath, creates enough humidity, so they can rise without developing a skin and splitting.

Almost ready to go in the oven

After about an hour, the scrolls double in size. Remove from the oven. You can see in the image above, how each scroll end, is butted towards the centre. So there are no ends, facing the side of the tin. This ensures they don't become misshapen, as they rise. But it also makes it easier, to pull apart, after they've been baked too. So remember this when positioning your scrolls in the tin.

Topping

While your oven is preheating to 200 degrees Celsius - fan-forced (220C - conventional, 425F, Gas mark 7) grate some cheese, for the top of the scrolls. An even covering of cheese - not too thick or too sparse.

Tasty-cheese browns more easily, than mozzarella

Bake in the middle of the oven, for approximately 20-25 minutes. Or until golden brown. I aim for 23 minutes in my oven. You should turn the tin, half way through baking, for even browning. This is also applicable to a fan-forced oven (like mine) if it's not as young and efficient at pushing air around any more.

Scrolls, pulled apart

Turn onto a cooling rack, and when almost cool, break into individual pieces. That's if you plan on freezing them in your packaging of choice. Wait for them to cool completely however, before wrapping.

I find it easiest to turn the slab of scrolls upside-down, in order to locate the seams, to tear apart. The cheese top, disguises where the seam is. So you could be tearing directly into a scroll, if you're not careful, rather than tearing it from a neighbour.

Ham & cheese variation

Another option is cheese and bacon scrolls. Or ham and mustard/relish of your choice. All have the grated cheese inside the scroll, as well as sprinkled on-top. I prefer making anything with meat in it, a winter offering for my kids' lunchboxes. So I don't have to worry about excessive heat, turning them bad.

Any scrolls leftover in the lunchbox, should be discarded. I rarely find any though.

Once you learn the technique behind making scrolls, you can pretty much put anything in them. I even make a cinnamon scroll. Maybe I'll write about that one another time? But feel free to experiment, with your favourite flavours.