Inside: Recipe for soft and cheesy spinach and ricotta rolls made with homemade yeast dough. They are a delicious green-themed party appetizer or brunch snack.
These spinach and ricotta rolls are deliciously soft, cheesy, and packed with a ton of flavor.
I love making these with a homemade yeast dough, but puff pastry will work for this recipe, too.
These rolls are perfect for brunch spreads, lunchboxes, party platters, or even as a yummy side dish for dinner.
The recipe makes 16 large rolls (plus a few smaller end pieces), and they’re absolutely best served warm from the oven!
How To Make These Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
For the dough:
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 oz fresh yeast
- 3 teaspoons sugar (for dissolving yeast)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (for the dough)
- ½ teaspoon dried garlic + ½ teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ½ teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon dried basil + ½ teaspoon more
- Salt, to taste
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons oil
For the filling:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 oz grated cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach (for filling)
- 1 cup fresh spinach (for topping)
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Crumble the fresh yeast into a small bowl and add 3 teaspoons of sugar.
2. Mix gently and let it sit for 5–7 minutes until it dissolves into a liquid.
3. Warm the milk and water until lukewarm (about 98°F). It should feel warm but not hot – you should be able to comfortably stick your finger into it.
4. Transfer the warm liquid into a large mixing bowl.
5. Once the yeast has dissolved and your milk-water mixture is at the right temperature, add the yeast to the bowl along with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, salt, dried garlic, oregano, and basil.
6. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
7. Add the flour and mix with a spoon until the dough becomes too thick to stir. Then switch to kneading by hand.
8. If the dough feels very sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes workable and no longer sticks heavily to your hands.
9. Form the dough into a ball. Drizzle the oil over it and knead again until the oil is fully incorporated.
10. Lightly dust with flour, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
11. In a medium-sized bowl, combine ricotta, grated cheese, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
12. Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop it into small pieces.
13. Add about ⅔ of the spinach to the ricotta mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the remaining spinach for later!
14. Once the dough has doubled in size, knead it again briefly and add the remaining dried garlic, oregano, and basil.
15. Preheat your oven to 365°F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
16. Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle.
17. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small strip along one of the longer edges clean.
18. Sprinkle the remaining fresh spinach evenly over the ricotta layer.
19. Starting from the long end opposite the clean strip, roll the dough tightly into a log. Roll as snugly as possible to keep the filling secure.
20. Cut off the smaller ends, then slice the log into approximately 1-inch-thick rolls and place them on your baking tray.
21. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, then let the rolls cool under a towel for 10 minutes.
22. Serve warm.
Important Recipe Notes
- I used half milk and half water, but you can use all milk if you prefer a slightly richer dough.
- Don’t overheat the liquid! If your milk and water mixture is too hot (more than 98°F), it will kill the yeast, and your dough won’t rise. If you accidentally overheat it, just wait until it cools to warm before adding the yeast.
- The dough may feel very sticky when you first start kneading it by hand, and that’s completely normal. Add flour slowly and only as needed – too much flour will dry out your rolls.
- When you first start rolling your dough, you’ll find it’s very elastic and bounces back easily. Keep working it gently, and it will relax and stay flat eventually.
- The dough will rise again during baking, so make sure you roll it thin enough. If you leave it too thick, the rolls will turn out dense and dry.
- Don’t spread the ricotta mix all over the dough, but leave a thin strip on one edge without filling. This helps seal the roll and prevents the filling from spilling out.
- These rolls taste best fresh and warm. If serving the next day, reheat in the oven for 5–10 minutes to bring back that soft texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The rolls are deliciously cheesy – creamy ricotta, Parmesan, and grated cheese create that soft, cheesy filling we all love.
- The homemade dough comes out beautifully soft and fluffy – it’s worth every minute you wait for it to rise!
- The rolls have that perfect comfort food feel – warm, cheesy, and incredibly satisfying.
- It’s perfect for brunch tables, snack boards, and party platters.
- It’s a freezer-friendly option. You can freeze baked rolls for up to two months and reheat whenever you want a cheesy snack!
Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 oz fresh yeast
- 3 teaspoons sugar for dissolving yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar for the dough
- ½ teaspoon dried garlic + ½ teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ½ teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon dried basil + ½ teaspoon more
- Salt to taste
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons oil
For the filling:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 oz grated cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach for filling
- 1 cup fresh spinach for topping
Instructions
- Crumble the fresh yeast into a small bowl and add 3 teaspoons of sugar.
- Mix gently and let it sit for 5–7 minutes until it dissolves into a liquid.
- Warm the milk and water until lukewarm (about 98°F). It should feel warm but not hot – you should be able to comfortably stick your finger into it.
- Transfer the warm liquid into a large mixing bowl.
- Once the yeast has dissolved and your milk-water mixture is at the right temperature, add the yeast to the bowl along with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, salt, dried garlic, oregano, and basil.
- Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add the flour and mix with a spoon until the dough becomes too thick to stir. Then switch to kneading by hand.
- If the dough feels very sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes workable and no longer sticks heavily to your hands.
- Form the dough into a ball. Drizzle the oil over it and knead again until the oil is fully incorporated.
- Lightly dust with flour, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine ricotta, grated cheese, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop it into small pieces.
- Add about ⅔ of the spinach to the ricotta mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the remaining spinach for later!
- Once the dough has doubled in size, knead it again briefly and add the remaining dried garlic, oregano, and basil.
- Preheat your oven to 365°F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle.
- Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small strip along one of the longer edges clean.
- Sprinkle the remaining fresh spinach evenly over the ricotta layer.
- Starting from the long end opposite the clean strip, roll the dough tightly into a log. Roll as snugly as possible to keep the filling secure.
- Cut off the smaller ends, then slice the log into approximately 1-inch-thick rolls and place them on your baking tray.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, then let the rolls cool under a towel for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- I used half milk and half water, but you can use all milk if you prefer a slightly richer dough.
- Don’t overheat the liquid! If your milk and water mixture is too hot (more than 98°F), it will kill the yeast, and your dough won’t rise. If you accidentally overheat it, just wait until it cools to warm before adding the yeast.
- The dough may feel very sticky when you first start kneading it by hand, and that’s completely normal. Add flour slowly and only as needed – too much flour will dry out your rolls.
- When you first start rolling your dough, you’ll find it’s very elastic and bounces back easily. Keep working it gently, and it will relax and stay flat eventually.
- The dough will rise again during baking, so make sure you roll it thin enough. If you leave it too thick, the rolls will turn out dense and dry.
- Don’t spread the ricotta mix all over the dough, but leave a thin strip on one edge without filling. This helps seal the roll and prevents the filling from spilling out.
- These rolls taste best fresh and warm. If serving the next day, reheat in the oven for 5–10 minutes to bring back that soft texture.
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