Pesto Filled Dinner Rolls
These pesto filled dinner rolls are soft, buttery, and so cheesy! They are the perfect side dish to your holiday table or your everyday dinner table. The green basil pesto and red tomatoes give them a festive touch.
OVERVIEW
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Components Used: Master Sweet Dough Recipe for Yeast Breads, Basil Pesto
I’ve never been more excited to share a recipe with you! I don’t often share savory recipes on my site but this one is extra special. I’ve been thinking about holiday dinner tables and the need for more variation when it comes to side dishes.
Instead of classic yeast rolls, I encourage you to try these pesto filled dinner rolls! They are cheesy, buttery, and filled with tons of garlic. The beautiful green from the pesto and red from the tomatoes makes these a festive dish for your Christmas table.
If you’ve ever made my enriched yeast dough then you are halfway there. These rolls are simply my soft yeast dough stuffed with savory ingredients. They are so delicious served as a side dish to holiday classics like roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole.
For the basil pesto, I’m making and sharing with you a quick homemade version or you can keep it simple and use store-bought.
Flavor Variation Ideas
Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls: Use my recipe for classic soft yeast rolls. After baking, brush with plenty of garlic butter and fresh, chopped parsley.
Pizza Dinner Rolls: Swap the pesto in this recipe for marinara sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the marinara sauce and skip the sun-dried tomatoes. Shape and bake as directed.
Spinach Cheese Rolls: Spread soft butter over the rolled out dough. Fill with fresh spinach and shredded cheddar cheese. Shape and bake as directed.
How to make pesto filled dinner rolls
This recipe for pesto filled dinner rolls starts with an enriched dough meaning it’s made with butter, egg, and a bit of sugar. This type of dough makes a soft, pillowy bread perfect for dinner rolls.
For a savory filling, I’m using basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. After baking, they’ll be topped with a garlic butter. Let’s get started!
This is the same filled roll technique that I use to make my cinnamon rolls and cardamom buns.
Make the Dough
Warm the milk to about 110-115°F/43-46°C. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar to the warmed milk and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming.
This step is called “proofing the yeast”. It’s optional but it’s a good way to test your yeast to make sure that it’s active before using. If you do not see any bubbles or activity then either your yeast is dead or your milk is too hot.
Add all of the dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl including the milk/yeast mixture. The order in which everything is combined doesn’t make a difference. Just weigh everything in the bowl and mix with a spoon, your hands, or in a stand mixer until everything starts to come together.
The dough can then be kneaded by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand or 6-8 minutes with a mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finished being kneaded it will be still be slightly sticky to the touch but should feel smooth and elastic and stand tall when rounded into a ball.
Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a shower cap (my preference) to bulk ferment until doubled in size: about 1 hour for instant yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.
Make the filling
If you’re making homemade pesto, make it at this time. It can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Grate or shred the Parmesan cheese and slice the sun-dried tomatoes. The tomatoes are optional in this recipe. You can use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil or ones that are not. They don’t need to be drained.
Shape the dough
After the dough has bulk fermented, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle. Spread the basil pesto all over the dough. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes over the basil.
Starting on one edge, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the clean edge to the log to seal. Use a serrated knife or bench knife to divide the dough. To make medium sized rolls which are perfect as a side dish to a larger meal, divide into 8 pieces. To make larger sized rolls, divide into 6 pieces.
Transfer the rolls to a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof for about 45 minutes if using instant yeast and about 75 minutes if using active dry yeast.
BAKE
After proofing, brush the rolls gently with an egg wash. Bake on 350°F/ 175°C for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
After baking and while still warm, brush the rolls with plenty of the garlic butter and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To reheat any leftovers, place one or two rolls in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.
Make-Ahead and Storage
How to Prep Ahead: Dinner rolls can easily be prepped ahead of time! After shaping and placing in a baking pan, wrap in plastic wrap. Store in your refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.
How to store in the freezer: Freeze the unbaked shaped dinner rolls for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, move the pan to your refrigerator and let thaw overnight. About 2 hours before baking, take it out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature and rise. You can place the pan next to a heating oven to speed up the process. When the dough is doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap, brush with the egg wash and bake.
How to store in the refrigerator and make overnight dinner rolls: Refrigerate for up to 16 hours.
About 2 hours before baking, take it out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature and rise. You can place the pan next to a heating oven to speed up the process. When the rolls are doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap, brush with the egg wash and bake.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other options for dinner rolls.
Pesto filled Dinner Rolls
These pesto filled dinner rolls are soft, buttery, and so cheesy! They are the perfect side dish to your holiday table or your everyday dinner table.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 113 grams (½ cup, 120 milliliters) whole milk, lower fat or non-dairy can be substituted
- 1 teaspoon (½ package) active dry or instant yeast
- 12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 42 grams (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 240-300 grams (2-2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
For the filling
- 113 grams (½ cup) basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
- 25 grams (¼ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced *optional
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Garlic Butter
- 28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large clove fresh garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Instructions
Make the dough
- Warm the milk (113 grams / ½ cup) to about 110-115°F/43-46°C. Add the yeast (1 teaspoon/ ½ package), and a large pinch of sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the sugar (12 grams/ 1 tablespoon), soft butter (42 grams/ 3 tablespoons), egg (1 large), salt (¾ teaspoon), the smaller amount of flour listed (240 grams/ 2 cups), and the yeast/milk mixture. Use clean hands to mix together until a sticky dough forms.
- If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Dust flour over the top of the dough and knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If kneading with a stand mixer, fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finished being kneaded it will still be slightly sticky to the touch, but feels smooth and elastic and should stand tall when rounded into a ball.
- Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a shower cap (my preference) to bulk ferment until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Make the Filling
- Make the basil pesto if using homemade. You need about 113 grams/ ½ cup for this recipe.
- Grate or shred the Parmesan cheese (25 grams/ ¼ cup) and slice the sun-dried tomatoes (⅓ cup) if using. Set aside.
Shape and Bake
- After bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and roll it out into a rectangle about 10 x 12 inches (25 x 30 cm) in size.
- Spread the basil pesto all over the dough leaving about ½-inch of the dough free from filling at the bottom short edge. Evenly distribute the Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes (if using) on top of the pesto.
- Starting on the short edge that does have filling, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the clean edge to the log to seal.
- Use a serrated knife or bench knife to divide the dough into 6 or 8 even pieces depending on if you want to make 6 large or 8 medium rolls.
- Transfer the cut rolls into a greased baking dish. If there are any visible tomatoes poking out, push them back in otherwise they will burn in the oven. Cover with plastic wrap. Proof the rolls for about 45 minutes if using instant yeast and about 75 minutes if using active dry yeast.
- Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Whisk together the egg (1 large) and water (1 tablespoon) to make an egg wash. Remove the plastic wrap and gently brush the top of the rolls with the egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the Garlic butter
- Combine the melted butter (28 grams/ 2 tablespoons), minced garlic (1 large clove), and salt (¼ teaspoon).
- After the rolls come out of the oven, brush the garlic butter and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese (1-2 tablespoons) over the top.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Here's my quick homemade pesto recipe. Combine the following in a small food processor:
- 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1 fresh garlic clove
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- large pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (grated or shredded) Parmesan cheese, optional
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