Garlicky Asiago Sage-Pesto Buns are Something Special for the Holidays
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At every feast, you can expect the bread basket to be a hit. Everyone loves a good bun to soak up gravy or turn their turkey into a little sandwich. Well, get ready to blow your guests’ minds with a little something special: garlicky asiago sage-pesto buns.
It’s a mouthful to say, but you’ll be happy to have a mouthful of these rolls. Trust me.
Look, even if the family chef tried “something new” with absolutely everything on the table, you can rely on that trusty old breadbasket. Turkey comes out dry? Oh well, soak it in gravy and stuff it in a roll. The sweet potatoes have nuts in them? Well, at least the rolls are nut-free.
How to Make Sage Pesto
The first thing we’re going to talk about is how to make sage pesto. And you may be thinking, “I didn’t know you could make pesto with sage.” Surprise! You can.
And surprise number two is that I’ve made this nut-free. While you can be allergic to pepitas, there are very few people who are allergic to them. That makes them a great way to add “nutty” flavor to pesto without sending anyone to the E.R.
So, start with a hefty handful of sage leaves. Wash them first. Because they’re kind of fuzzy, the water repels off them a little bit, so a little rinse to remove any dirt or bugs is all you need. I packed my leaves into the measuring cup to get the amount listed in the recipe. I’ve made a note of that below, but I figured I’d say it here, too.
Dump the sage into your blender cup. I really recommend using a Nutribullet for this because this is such a small batch. Your full-size blender will whip everything onto the sides and leave it whole as it needlessly spins. So, you must use a smaller blender.
To the sage, you want to add pepitas, asiago, olive oil, water, and salt. Water is a weird add but it cuts down the fat a little bit. I grated my asiago before adding it to the blender, but you can leave it in chunks if you’re really confident in your blender.
Now, blend it smooth. You may have to open it up and scrape the sides and the blade lid a couple of times to make sure all the ingredients get mixed together.
Sourdough Discard Dough for Pesto Buns
I like making bread with my sourdough discard because it works fairly well. It doesn’t come out with a strong sourdough flavor, but it leavens the buns nicely enough.
So, I feed my starter and then discard it. This is insane because you usually discard and then feed. You can do that if you’re more comfortable, but you then have to feed your discard, too. That seemed like more work to me. So, whatever. However you choose to do this your starter has to be fed before you make the dough.
I do 1 part sourdough starter, 1 part water, and 2 parts all-purpose flour. The real measurements are listed in the recipe, but in case you’re math-happy, there are my ratios.
To that, I add a bit of oil and salt for flavor and tenderness. Now, I use a stand mixer because this is such a wet dough. I’d like it to build gluten without having to add a lot of excess flour, and also, I am very lazy. I prefer to make bread doughs in my mixer.
It’s just as simple as that. Then, the dough rests in the fridge for 24 hours.
Passing the Windowpane Test
Now, you’ll see in the recipe that your dough needs to pass the windowpane test. What is that? That means you can take a little bit of dough and stretch it so thin without it breaking that, if you hold it up to the light, you can see light coming through. If it tears as you stretch it, you need to knead your dough for longer. I suggest kneading in 5-minute increments to avoid over-kneading it.
Let’s Assemble Some Pesto Buns!
So, you’ve let your dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours. It might have risen a little, but probably not a lot. Set it on the counter and let it come to room temperature. It’ll probably have some nice bubbles for you as it warms up.
Turn your dough out onto a floured surface. You’re going to want to roll the dough out to a 15×20 rectangle. So, grab a rolling pin and get to work. I usually stop every now and then and try to shape the edges to form a rectangle, just a little push or pull here and there to make it even.
Once your dough is rolled out, spread that pesto from edge to edge. Then, grab more shredded asiago to sprinkle on top of that. We’re also adding some mozzarella because it makes it extra fun to eat. Coat the whole surface with sprinkles of cheese.
Then, starting from one of the short sides (one of the 15-inch sides), start rolling it into a log. You want to make sure to roll it nice and tight so the whole thing sticks together.
Now, slice your log into 12 equal rolls. Set them into a dark non-stick 9×13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper. The parchment is actually optional, but it really makes it easy to lift the buns out of the pan once they’re cooked.
Cover your pan and let them rise in a warm spot for an hour.
Adding Extra Garlic Flavor to your Pesto Buns
Once your pesto rolls have risen, you’ll want to preheat the oven and make a little garlicky oil to brush on top. All this is is olive oil, garlic powder, and a bit of salt. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of each bun liberally.
Olive oil will help brown the dough a little in the oven, and that generally makes bread look more appealing to eat. I don’t really think my asiago sage-pesto buns need any help looking cute, but it’s a little something that helps.
Bake those buns for 45 minutes. When they come out of the oven, you can sprinkle more grated asiago on top. Serve them warm! And you can save the leftovers in an airtight container or bag for about 2 days but after that they seem a bit stale.
Fill That Breadbasket Well
To wow your guests with a fancy, adventurous breadbasket, here are some other awesome recipes for you:
The Pesto Bun Tool Kit
Here are the tools you’ll need to make my garlicky asiago sage-pesto buns.
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Asiago Sage-Pesto Buns
Equipment
- 9×13 Dark Metal Non-stick Pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl with lid
- Blender (I recommend a Nutribullet)
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 225 g sourdough discard (feed the discard, let it rise, and then measure it out)
- 550 g all purpose flour
- 225 g filtered water room temperature
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Sage Pesto
- ½ cup fresh sage leaves pack the leaves into the measuring cup
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tbsp grated asiago
- 2 Tbsp pepitas
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
For Assembly
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup grated asiago
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine your fed sourdough discard with flour, water, salt, and olive oil. Knead using your stand mixer with a hook attachment on medium speed for 10 minutes. If the dough starts climbing the hook, use your hand to push the dough back down into the bowl. At the 10 minute mark, check a sample of dough to see if it passes the "windowpane test." If not, continue kneading for an additional 5 minutes.
- Tuck the dough into a ball, and place it in an oiled bowl with a lid. Place in the fridge for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, move the bowl to the counter and let the dough come to room temperature.
- While the dough comes to room temperature, combine the sage leaves, 3 Tbsp of asiago, pepitas, olive oil, water, and salt in a blender cup. I prefer my Nutribullet for small amounts like this. Blend until nearly smooth. Set the pesto aside.
- Line your 9×13 pan with parchment paper. You may use a little oil to help it stick to the pan.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out to a 15×20 rectangle.
- Spread the pesto over the dough completely. Sprinkle mozzarella and asiago evenly over the pesto.
- From the short end (one of the 15" sides), roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Cut the dough into 12 slices, and place them in the prepared 9×13 pan cut side up. Cover with a towel and let them rise for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Brush the tops of your rolls with the garlic oil.
- Bake the rolls for 45 minutes or until the cheese swirl looks nice and brown.
- Sprinkle additional asiago on top when they come out of the oven. Serve warm.
