Appetizer crescent rolls with pepper and cheese paste
I have made appetizer crescent rolls with pepper paste and cheese several times since discovering how interesting the dough turns out with pepper paste. It is not complicated, especially if you have yeast and all the ingredients at hand. Besides the taste, I like that they are easy to work with and don't require any special technique. I usually prepare the recipe when I have leftover telemea cheese or guests at the table.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours (includes rising and baking)
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Rising time: 40-60 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: 48 crescent rolls (from 6 balls x 8 pieces)
Difficulty: medium (requires a little patience in shaping)
Recipe type: savory appetizer, suitable for festive meals or snacks
Ingredients
For the dough:
500 g white flour
50 g oats
3 tablespoons pepper paste
salt, to taste
1 packet yeast (10 g dry yeast or 25 g fresh yeast)
2 eggs
250 ml warm water
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried celery leaves
2 tablespoons crushed flax seeds
For the filling:
200 g telemea cheese
2 egg whites
1 natural yogurt (approx. 120-140 g)
2 tablespoons semolina
For brushing:
2 egg yolks
1 small can of condensed milk for coffee (approx. 75-100 ml)
sesame seeds
salt
Preparation method
1. Start with the yeast. Put the yeast in a small bowl, add salt and sugar. Mix until it liquefies. Add a little warm water and a tablespoon of flour. Let it activate for 5-10 minutes in a warm place.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the activated yeast, add the oats, eggs, and pepper paste, and mix a little with a spoon.
3. Add the remaining warm water, crushed flax seeds, and celery leaves. Start incorporating all the flour, kneading in the bowl or on the table, as preferred.
4. When the dough starts to come together and is still sticky, gradually add the 3 tablespoons of oil. Knead well until the dough becomes elastic and no longer sticks to your hands.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise, away from drafts, until it doubles in volume. This usually takes 40-60 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put the telemea cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the yogurt, the 2 egg whites, and the semolina. Mix everything until you have a smooth cream, without large pieces of cheese.
7. When the dough has risen, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Take out the dough, knead it briefly to degas, and divide it into 6 equal parts.
8. Take the first piece, roll it out into a circular shape, not too thin. Cut the circle into 8 triangles, like for crescent rolls.
9. Place a teaspoon of the cheese cream at the base of each triangle.
10. Roll each triangle from the base to the tip to obtain the crescent shape. Arrange the crescent rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spaced apart.
11. Repeat the process with the other 5 portions of dough.
12. For brushing, beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk. Using a brush, glaze each crescent roll. Sprinkle sesame seeds and salt if needed.
13. Place the tray in the preheated oven at medium temperature (approx. 180°C). Bake until they are nicely browned, about 20-25 minutes, depending on the oven.
14. Remove the crescent rolls and let them cool on a rack or a clean towel.
Why I make the recipe often
I like it because I can use cheese that I have on hand, and the dough with pepper paste completely changes the classic taste of crescent rolls. They hold well for a day or two and can be packed or placed on festive platters without much hassle.
Tips and variations
Tips
If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour while kneading.
Do not use very liquid pepper paste, as it may cause problems with the dough's consistency.
The flour should be sifted beforehand for a lighter dough.
Substitutions
Telemea cheese can be replaced with salty cottage cheese or even cheese if you have nothing else. Yogurt can also be 2% or 3.5%, it doesn't matter much. The condensed milk for brushing can be replaced with regular milk.
Variations
You can also use other seeds on top: poppy, pumpkin, or sunflower.
The filling can be lightly flavored with dill if you want a different taste.
For a more intense flavor, you can add smoked paprika to the dough.
Serving ideas
I usually put them on appetizer platters at parties or as a snack for guests. They are also good for packing or as a savory snack alongside a salad.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I freeze the raw or baked crescent rolls?
Yes, you can freeze the crescent rolls after shaping, before baking. They are placed on a tray, frozen, and then moved to bags. When needed, you can bake them directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the time. Baked ones can be frozen, but the texture is not as fluffy after thawing.
2. What can I replace the pepper paste with?
If you don't have pepper paste, you can use tomato paste or even hot pepper paste (if you want them spicy), but the taste will be slightly different.
3. Can they be made without eggs in the dough?
You can omit the eggs, but the result will be a little less tender and more compact. You may need to adjust the liquid amount (water or yogurt).
4. Are flax seeds necessary?
They are not mandatory, but they add texture and are healthy. If you don't have them, just omit them or use crushed sunflower seeds.
5. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh?
Yes. A packet of 7-10 g dry yeast replaces a cube of 25 g fresh yeast.
Nutritional values
Approximately, for one crescent roll: 65-70 kcal, of which 2 g protein, 2.5 g fat, 9 g carbohydrates. For 4-5 pieces, a serving is around 250-300 kcal. Values may vary depending on the cheese used, the type of yogurt, and the size of the crescent rolls.
Storage and reheating
Crescent rolls are stored at room temperature, covered with a towel, for up to 2 days. After that, they dry out on the surface. For longer storage, put them in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but the texture loses its freshness. They can be reheated for 2-3 minutes in the oven or microwave if you want them soft. They are not as good after freezing, but remain acceptable as a quick snack.
The yeast is mixed with salt and sugar until it becomes liquid. We add a little warm water, a little flour, mix and let it rise for about 5-10 minutes. Freshly sifted flour is placed in a bowl, we make a well in the middle, pour in the yeast mixture, add the oats, eggs, pepper paste, and mix. We add the remaining warm water, flax seeds, celery leaves, and incorporate the entire amount of flour. To prevent the dough from sticking to our hands, we will add about 3 tablespoons of oil, knead until we obtain an elastic dough. We let it rise in a draft-free place until we prepare the filling as follows: - we crumble the cheese with a fork, add the yogurt, egg whites, and semolina, mix until we obtain a homogeneous composition. We flour the work surface, divide the dough into 6 approximately equal portions. We roll out a ball of dough, divide it with a cutter into 8, place a teaspoon of the previously prepared cheese cream at the base of the dough. We roll the crescent shapes and place them in the tray, on baking paper. We proceed the same way with the other 5 balls of dough left. They are brushed with beaten egg yolk mixed with condensed milk, sprinkled with sesame seeds and salt, if needed, and baked in the oven at medium temperature until nicely browned. Enjoy your meal!
Ingredients: For the dough: about 500 g white flour, about 50 g oatmeal flakes, 3 tablespoons pepper paste, salt to taste, 1 packet of yeast, 2 eggs, 250 ml warm water, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon dried celery leaf, 2 tablespoons crushed flax seeds. Filling: 200 g sheep telemea cheese, 2 egg whites, 1 natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons semolina. For brushing: 2 egg yolks, 1 can of condensed milk (for coffee), sesame seeds, salt.
