mozzarella pinwheels

Appetizers are one of my favorite things to serve when entertaining. A few days ago we had friends over for dinner and I was searching for a new appetizer recipe to try. I stumbled upon these mozzarella pinwheels by Luca Montersino, one of the most famous Italian pastry chef.

They are absolutely delicious and super soft. The secret ingredient? Shredded fresh mozzarella in the dough.

Mozzarella pinwheels are perfect for a buffet, a cocktail party, a picnic, a road trip or as an afternoon snack for children.

They’re quick to throw together, can be made ahead of time and can even be frozen so you can enjoy them whenever the craving strikes. To freeze them you have two options: freeze the rolled log and, whenever you need it, keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes, slice, proof and bake; or freeze the baked mozzarella pinwheels.

The original recipe calls for butter but I used extra virgin olive oil to make them healthier. Don’t use fresh tomato sauce as it’s too liquid.

Your guests will love these mozzarella pinwheels, you will see them disappear in no time!!!

mozzarella pinwheels
Print Recipe

How To Make It: Mozzarella Pinwheels

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 25
(5 stars) 1 rating
These mozzarella pinwheels (girelle di mozzarella) have shredded fresh mozzarella in the dough. They are delicious and super soft.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • ¾ cup+1½ tablespoon (200 ml) low-fat milk lukewarm (you can use full fat milk if you wish)
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) dry yeast
  • 4 cups+2 tablespoons (500 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ tablespoon (10 g) sugar
  • 7 oz. (200 g) fresh mozzarella shredded
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil+extra to drizzle
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • For the filling:
  • 3.5 oz. (100 g) concentrated tomato paste
  • dry oregano

Instructions

  • Shred the fresh mozzarella in a food processor.
  • Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, put the flour, sugar, milk+yeast and shredded mozzarella.
  • Start kneading then add the olive oil, salt and mix until you obtain a smooth dough.
  • Make a ball, put in a bowl covered with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • mozzarella pinwheels
  • Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, roughly 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.
  • Spread the tomato paste on top and sprinkle with oregano.
  • mozzarella pinwheels
  • Roll it up, starting from the long side, in a tight log.
  • Wrap the log with cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Cut the roll into 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick slices and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  • mozzarella pinwheels
  • Let the mozzarella pinwheels rest for 1 hour then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
  • Preheat the oven at 428 degrees F (220 degrees C) and bake them for 8 minutes .
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Prep time doesn’t include rest time.
To freeze the mozzarella pinwheels you have two options: freeze the rolled log and, whenever you need it, keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes, slice, proof and bake; or freeze the baked mozzarella pinwheels.

Nutrition

Calories: 124 kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.2 g, Protein: 4.9 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1.3 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 185 mg, Fiber: 0.7 g, Sugar: 1.4 g
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!
Author: Elena Tomasi
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
mozzarella pinwheels