Does any one else go through that depressed, down-in-the-dumps feeling when long-awaited, exciting plans come to an end? Surely I can’t be the only one. I tend to get a bit sad and feel a little lost and confused when something I’ve been looking forward to for weeks (or months!) comes, and goes.
Take right now, for example. I just spent a week-long holiday at a family cabin just outside of Horsefly, BC that involved kayaking on the lake, hiking through hay fields, playing horseshoes/Bocci, huddling by a cozy fire watching angry thunderstorms and eating and drinking to excess with a group of fantastic friends.
We saw lots of wildlife, played lots of games, had some outdoor adventures and spent a lot of time just relaxing/recharging. I finally got home last night, and felt… bleh. Sad that this trip I’d been waiting for for ages has come and gone, sad that I had to wake my butt up for work this morning, sad that I was back in the city, back to the daily grind, back to reality.
Food will cheer me up, though. As much of a bummer it is that all my summer plans have wrapped up, I’m excited to come home to Fall and all of it’s fantastic-ness. If I start to feel under the weather, I can usually make a big ol’ batch o’ somethin’ and feel just a little bit better.
These savoury rolls are perfect for times like these. They’re packed with sweet caramelized onions, sauteed apples, salty pancetta and melty Gruyère cheese. Surprisingly, they’re relatively easy to make, but you’d never guess it from the wonderful mixture of flavours. I originally wanted these to be side rolls that you could have with dinner, but they are pretty rich so they’re almost better as dinner, maybe with a side salad.
I had some for leftovers one night, reheated in the microwave and topped with a fried egg. Ohmygosh I wish I had gotten photos of that – the runny egg gets all up in there and tastes fantastic.
To make these, first make the dough and let it rise for about 2 hours. While it’s rising, caramelize the onions in a large skillet, then add in the apples and pancetta for the last few minutes. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, sprinkle with onion mixture and shredded cheese, roll the dough up as you would for cinnamon buns, slice into 12 rolls and bake for 20 minutes. They tastes great fresh out of the oven, and equally as great reheated a night or two later.
I love this idea of rolling up good things in bread. I’m inspired to make pizza rolls similar to this, but with lots of tomato sauce, pepperoni and cheese (stay tuned for that one).
Side note: if you’re not a fan of caramelized onions, you probably won’t like these since their flavour is pretty strong in these rolls. But I would suggest you to try them, because if you don’t think caramelized onions are incredibly delicious – especially when wrapped up in doughy bread and lots of cheese – you may need to reevaluate your tastebuds.
| Savoury Rolls Stuffed with Caramelized Onions, Pancetta, Apples & Gruyère | Print |
- Dough:
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 1⅓ cups warm water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- .
- Filling:
- 5 small yellow onions, sliced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 150g thick pancetta, diced
- 1 granny smith apple, diced into small pieces
- 250g gyere cheese, grated
- To make dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together yeast and water and let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add in olive oil, flour, salt, sugar and seasoning and knead until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. Dough should be tacky and elastic. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- While dough is rising, caramelize onions. In a large skillet, saute onions in oil over low heat, stirring often, until onions have cooked down and turned deep brown in colour, about 2 hours.
- Toss in pancetta and apples and cook for another few minutes until golden.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle, about 18" x 14". Cover dough with onion mixture and grated cheese. Carefully roll up dough on the long edge (as you would cinnamon buns). Cut into 12 rolls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until dough as browned.
These rolls were very delicious! The only thing i’d suggest is to decrease salt content in bread. A pinch is a normal amount for recipes that call for 3 3/4 cups of flour. A tsp might be more than enough!
Thanks for the suggestion, Naomi! I usually use the full teaspoon of salt as I find it boosts the flavour and strengthens the texture of the dough (making it less sticky and easy to handle), but definitely go with whatever your preference is. I’m glad you enjoyed the rolls!
How do you store these after baking? For the next day?
In the fridge or is on the counter ok?
pancetta is too expensive, can i use bacon instead?