Ingredients

Scale

For the dough:

2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped fine
2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water (plus more if needed)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz. sourdough starter (straight from the fridge is fine)

For the filling:

About 1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 – 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 – 1 1/2 lb. part-skim mozzarella cheese
Red pepper flakes
About 2 cups baby spinach

Instructions

Make the pizza dough by tossing all the ingredients into a bread machine or stand mixer and kneading on setting 2 for 3 – 5 minutes. The dough should come together and form into a ball, cleaning the bowl. Add just a bit of water if it’s not coming together and a bit of flour if it’s getting too sticky. Once it’s kneaded, set the dough in a warm place to rise until doubled, then cut the dough in half.
On a floured surface using a rolling pin, roll one half of the dough into a long skinny rectangle about 10 inches wide and as long as it wants to be, rolling the dough as thin as you possibly can. You want the dough to be REALLY thin, so if the dough is resisting you and springing back, pause in the midst of rolling for about 5 minutes, covering the dough with a towel, and then try rolling it a little thinner.
Spread a layer of pesto over the dough. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and cheeses, leaving a little edge on the side nearest you, then top with fresh spinach, and if you like, some more mozzarella.
Starting on the long edge furthest from you, bring up a bit of the dough to cover the long edge of the dough, then start rolling the dough in and over towards you, rolling it up, jelly roll style and gently pushing the bottom underneath to let the fillings and cheese roll up into the roll (rather than getting shifted outwards).
Wet the long edge of the dough nearest you with water, then stretch that layer up and wrap it around the “log”, pressing gently to seal. Tuck the ends of the log in and press the dough on the edges together with your fingers so they don’t “leak” cheese.
Set the roll on plastic wrap and wrap it up so it’s fully wrapped, leaving a little bit extra wrap at the ends so you can fold them over to fully enclose the rolls. Put the roll in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (Best if used or frozen within a day.)
When it’s almost time to eat, preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with oil. Cut the rolls into 1 inch slices using a knife or (unflavored) dental floss. Set each roll on the prepared sheet, cut side down, leaving a little space in between the rolls. Don’t worry if there are some air gaps inside the rolls–they’ll fill in as they cook. If any of the pinwheels gets “squished” in the cutting process, gently shape it back into a circular shape. Sprinkle any escaped mozzarella cheese on top of the pinwheels.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until the pesto pinwheels are golden brown and the cheese is fully melted and a little browned on top. Serve with warm marinara sauce or for dipping in your favorite soup.

Notes

See post (above) for pictures of the shaping process.

RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

Keywords: Pesto, Cheese, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Sourdough, Whole Wheat