Name: Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls (Braaibroodjie Rolls)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 600 grams bread flour ((strong/high-grade)); 80 grams white sugar ((caster/granulated)); 4 teaspoons yeast*; 90 grams butter ((melted and cooled)); 250 grams water ((lukewarm)); 125 grams milk ((lukewarm)); 1 egg ((beaten)); 1½ teaspoons salt; ¼ to ⅓ cup flour for dusting; 3-4 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil; 60 grams butter; ½ large onion; 120 grams cheddar ((grated)); ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes ((chopped)); 60 grams chutney ((peach or apricot)); 3 teaspoons pepper; 3 teaspoons Aromat ((or salt))

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These delightful cheese, tomato and onion savoury scrolls are soft, pillowy rolls reminiscent of the South African Braaibroodjie Rolls.

Sliced Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scroll (braaibroodjie rolls)

These savoury scrolls or rolls are heavily influenced by the South African Braaibroodjies.

Braaibroodjies are sandwiches that are toasted on the braai/barbeque at the end of the braaiing festivities when the coals have cooled and meat is resting.

The exception to this rule is when there are hungry kids running around the garden or swimming in the pool, then the wors (boerewors) and a broodjie (sandwich) are tossed on the braai fairly early for the kids to snack on.

These little toasted delights are usually made with white sandwich bread (thick slices!), butter, cheese, tomato, thinly sliced onion, salt, pepper and Aromat, and sometimes a smattering of Mrs Ball's Original Chutney (which is a staple item in South African homes!).

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What you need for this recipe
Making the Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls
Pro Tips for this Recipe
Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls Substitutions
Storage
📖 Recipe

What you need for this recipe

Equipment

This bread dough is made by hand however the dough can be made in a stand mixer if you have one available.

Baking dish or baking pan (about 9"x13" -23cm by 30cm x 5cm tall) for the rolls. However, you can always divide these rolls between two smaller baking dishes.

Ingredients

The bread dough is enriched bread dough and consists of:

Flour
Salt
Sugar
Milk
Water
Yeast - this recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of yeast, because it is an enriched dough the butter, egg, and milk will hinder proofing to a certain extent.
Butter
Egg

The filling ingredients are:

Cheese - a sharp cheddar, regular chedder will work really well in this recipe.
Chutney - Mrs Ball's Original Chutney is my go-to.
Butter
Sauteed Onions
Sundried Tomatoes - they contain less moisture than tinned or canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, which results in a better bake.

Refer to recipe for quantities.

Making the Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls

Step 1 - In a large bowl place the lukewarm water, milk, sugar and yeast. Once the yeast has become foamy and bubbly, add in the cooled melted butter, and the beaten egg. Stir to combine.

Step 2 - Add in 600 grams of flour and stir together with a form of shaggy dough. Set aside and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 2 - Flour mixed with wet ingredients and allowed to autolyse

Step 3 - Generously flour a kitchen counter with about ¼ cup of flour, and knead the dough for about 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic and passes the windowpane test. Alternatively, the dough can be kneaded in a stand mixer using the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes. Take a small ball of dough and stretch the dough between your fingers until it becomes thin enough for light to pass through without the dough tearing.

Step 3 - Kneaded dough - window pan test

Step 4 - Place the dough in a large bowl that has been greased with vegetable oil, covered with a tea towel and allowed to proof in a warm area for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 4 - Place kneaded dough in an oiled bowl

Step 4 - Proofed dough - doubled in size

Step 5 - While the dough is proofing, finely chop the onions and sautee in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the onions are soft and slightly browned. Grate the cheese. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. The butter for the filling can be melted or softened and mixed with the chutney.

Step 6 - Once the dough has finished proofing, roll it out on a lightly floured surface in a rectangle about 40cm long and 25 cm wide. Spread approximately ⅔ of the butter-chutney mix onto the bread dough, sprinkle with cheese, onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

tep 6 - Dough rolled out and covered with fillings

Step 7 - Beginning on the long side of the dough, roll the dough up tightly. Pinch the seams together to seal in the filling along the length of the dough. Cut the roll into 12 equal portions using a sharp knife, or bench scraper. Place the rolls cut side down into your baking dish (about 23cm by 30cm x 5cm tall) leaving about 2 - 3 cm of space between the rolls to allow them to rise. Cover with a tea towel and allow to proof until the dough has doubled in size between 30 minutes and an hour. To check if the dough is ready for baking, simply poke the dough gently with your finger, if the dough indents and it pops back still leaving an indentation, the dough is perfectly proofed.

Step 8 - Preheat the oven to 180°C. Baste the rolls with the leftover butter-chutney mix, and bake the rolls for 25 minutes. Serve the rolls either warm or at room temperature.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

To test the freshness or viability of the yeast, place 2 teaspoons of yeast (or a packet of yeast in ½ cup or 125 grams of lukewarm water, with ½ teaspoon of sugar. The yeast should start to bubble in about 10 minutes.

This resting period allows the flour to hydrate and activates the gluten within the flour, reducing the amount of time needed to knead the dough, which is handy when kneading by hand. This is also called autolyse.

The windowpane test is the best way to tell if you have sufficiently kneaded your bread dough. Take a small ball of dough and stretch the dough between your fingers until it becomes thin enough for light to pass through without the dough tearing. ⁠When you have reached this stage, your dough is ready for the next step in your recipe. ⁠

The poke-proof test is a simple test to determine whether your dough is finished proofing.

You poke and the dough pops back immediately: under proofed
You poke and the dough doesn’t pop back at all: over-proofed
You poke and the dough pops back but still leaves an indentation: perfectly proofed

Salt is crucial bread, even sweeter bread. Many people will be tempted to decrease the salt within the recipe, but the bread just won’t taste as good. Also, keep in mind to mix the salt directly with the yeast. It will kill the yeast. Keep them socially distanced, only being allowed to meet up in the dough.

The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.

For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.

Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.

Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls Substitutions

Butter within the dough can be substituted with vegan butter (or baking margarine) or even olive oil.

Butter within the filling can be replaced with vegan butter or spread.

Granulated sugar can be substituted with brown sugar or raw sugar.

Milk can be whole milk, fat-free or even trim milk. For a vegan option, replace the milk with plant-based milk such as soy milk.

Storage

These rolls can be stored in an air-tight container for 2 to 3 days.

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Cheese, Tomato and Onion Savoury Scrolls (Braaibroodjie Rolls)