Meat-free Monday: Pesto pizza rolls

These pesto pizza rolls are tasty and have a delightfully crunchy cheese edge, reminiscent of a deep-dish pizza.

Recipe by Goldcrest. Note: Salami has been replaced with seitan salami (vegan salami) for a meat-free alternative.

Makes ± 12 | Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• ±800g store bought pizza dough
• 185ml tomato-based pasta / pizza sauce
• 70g Goldcrest Basil Pesto
• 70g Goldcrest Olive Pesto with Sundried Tomato
• 260g mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 100g green olives, pitted and torn into pieces
• 50g feta cheese, crumbled
• 100g seitan salami
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
• Olive oil, for brushing

Method

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle.
2. About 45 x 35cm.
3. Spread the tomato based sauce lightly on top of the dough rectangle. Leave a few cm at the bottom of the dough completely clear of all sauce and toppings so you have a nice clean edge to seal up the rolls. 
4. Dollop spoonfuls on Goldcrest Basil Pesto on half of the rectangle.
5. Dollop spoonfuls on Goldcrest Olive Pesto with Sundried Tomato on the other half of the rectangle. Spread out evenly.
6. Sprinkle both sides with shredded mozzarella.
7. Over the Basil Pesto side, spread out the crumbled feta and green olives.
8. Over the Olive Pesto side, spread out the seitan salami and red onion.
9. Brush the empty edge of dough with water to help the log seal.
10. Carefully roll dough into a log, from the filled side towards the empty edge.
11. Slice off the edges.
12. Roll onto a flat large baking tray lined with baking paper. Seam side down.
13. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
14. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
15. Line another large baking tray with baking paper.
16. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut the log into ± 4cm pieces.
17. Use a sawing motion so you do not squash the layers.
18. Turn pizza rolls onto their sides. Press the dough and filling spiral down gently to spread it out and coax it into a nice round shape.
19. Transfer to the clean lined baking tray.
20. Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese.
21. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown and the cheese is bubbling over.
22. Try to let them rest for a few minutes before biting into their cheesy, pesto, fluffy goodness.

If you would like to make your own delicious pizza dough…

Ingredients

• 325ml warm water
• 10g sachet instant dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp / 26g olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 500g flour, plus more for rolling out

Method 

1. Combine warm water, yeast, sugar and olive oil in a jug.
2. Mix and leave for 5 minutes until yeast is foamy.
3. Combine salt and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
4. Start the mixer on low and slowly pour in the water mixture.
5. Mix until a dough comes together and then switch to the dough hook.
6. Mix on low speed for 10 minutes until smooth and shiny.
7. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
8. Cover with a clean dishcloth and leave in a warm area for one hour.
9. Continue with the recipe above.