Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls

Imagine a soft dough, shaped like cinnamon rolls, but savory, baked up with pizza sauce and mozzarella. Madam Wong's Pizza rolls are delicious and portable. Perfect in a lunchbox!

Our family moved to Kuala Lumpur at the end of 2001 so our daughters started school mid-year at the International School of Kuala Lumpur in early January.  This was right after September 11 and the school decided that it would be a good idea to make sure that everyone on campus - students, teachers, administrators and parents alike - had photo identification cards.  And, while they were at it, a new system was put in place where parents could add monetary value to the cards and elementary students could use them to buy lunch and snacks in the canteen.

Within the first few days, we had met Madam Wong.  A diminutive Malaysian Chinese woman, Madam Wong was the ultimate lunch lady, kind-hearted to a fault and a very good cook and baker.  She managed to keep track of which child belonged to which mother, who wasn’t eating their lunch and who was buying all his or her friends snacks on the ID card after school.  She was not beyond chiding a child into choosing a healthier option.

When a student’s credit balance got low, parents were sent an email asking them to top it up.  If there was a delay and the child ran out completely, Madam Wong would still feed him or her, keeping a separate ledger of debts.  Technically this was against the rules but she just couldn’t bear to see a child go hungry.

Madam Wong in her normal attire -
Photo credit: Sandy Fuda

Madam Wong was also the official caterer for Girl Scout events, giving us leaders a price that I am sure left little margin for profit.  She never failed to have a kind word and a cold Diet Coke for us, even when soft drinks were banned on campus.  Needless to say, we adored her for that.  And she provided the snacks for the monthly PTA meetings.

She made a great selection of sweet and savory items but my favorite were her pizza rolls.  Soft yeast dough, rolled out flat and covered in delicious garlicky tomato sauce and cheese and then rolled up, cinnamon roll style, sliced and baked to tender perfection.  When I read that our Sunday Supper theme this week was lunchbox ideas, Madam Wong and her pizza rolls sprang to mind.  Why not make a larger version of her rolls, perhaps with added pepperoni?  These make the perfect, portable take-along lunch.  In fact, I wrapped them up and we ate them on the road, in the car, as we zipped along the highway to Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Divine.

Ingredients for eight large rolls
For the dough
2 cups or 500g strong bread flour plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 packet dried yeast (1/4 oz or 21g) – I used Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise.
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cups or 315ml warm (between 105° F–115° F or 41° C–46° C)  water

To assemble
1 1/2 cups or 400g pizza sauce -  I used homemade but feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce, if that makes your life easier.
1 ball fresh mozzarella (About 4 1/2 oz or 125g, drained)
1/2 cup or 50g grated mozzarella
1 3/4 oz or 50g thinly sliced pepperoni – optional
Sprinkle dried oregano - optional

Method
Pile the flour in a very large mixing bowl and make a well in the center of it.  Pour half the water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir them in with a fork, grabbing just a bit of flour from around the well and mixing it in.

Continue to bring the flour into the center until you get a very thick batter then add the remaining water.

Continue to mix until it's quick thick again, then you can start using your hands, gathering up all the flour and working it into the dough. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour.

On a clean surface, knead the dough for four or five minutes, turning it and folding it over and slapping it around until you have a lovely elastic dough.

Flour the top of your dough. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to proof in a warm, moist, draught-free place until doubled in size, about half an hour.   I put mine outside, in the shade but with our hot Dubai temperature, it rose like crazy, which is always my favorite part of making bread.  It’s fun to see science in action.

Before the first rising.

After the rising - it grew and grew and grew!

Line your baking pan with a little non-stick spray or oil and a bit of parchment paper cut to roughly the size of the bottom of the pan.  If you have a non-stick pan, you might skip this step.

When the dough has risen sufficiently, punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle (about 17x13in or 44x33cm) using a light sprinkling of flour to keep it from sticking to your counter top and the rolling pin.

Spread it liberally, right to the edges, with about two-thirds of your pizza sauce.

Slice the fresh mozzarella thinly and scatter the pieces on the sauce.  Place bits of pepperoni between the mozzarella, if using.

Roll the dough up into a tube, taking care not to squeeze the sauce out the sides.  (Edit: If you are baking for small children or to make snacks, roll it up the other direction and cut 16 small rolls, instead of eight large.)

Use a serrated bread knife to slice the tube into rolls and place in your prepared pan.  Leave a little space between them so they have room for the next rising.

Top each roll with the remainder of the sauce and then sprinkle on the grated mozzarella.  Top each with a tiny pinch of dried oregano, if desired.

Cover the pan with cling film again and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.  Halfway through the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Bake in your preheated oven at oven for 20 minutes, until golden and scrumptious-looking.

Enjoy!

Eat straight out of the oven.

Or package up for lunch on the go.

If you are looking for some great ideas to make lunchboxes tasty and interesting, and who isn’t, have a look at these inspiring ideas from my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers, hosted today by the lovely Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake:

• Baked Ham and Cheese Rolls from Big Bear’s Wife
• Balsamic Butter Beans with Smoked Sausage and Spinach from Eat, Move, Shine
• British Bento from Ninja Baking
• Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread “Sushi” from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Popcorn Chicken Bento from The Urban Mrs
• Greek-style Spinach Hand Pies from Kimchi MOM
• Homemade Uncrustables from Treats & Trinkets
• Indian Spiced Chicken Meatball Wraps from Soni’s Food
• Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Malibu Chicken Tortilla Pinwheels from Home Cooking Memories
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Rolls from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Pizzadillas from La Cocina de Leslie
• Potato Cheese and Mushroom Focaccia Bread from Family Foodie
• Sausage Roll Ups from The Food Army Wife
• Scotch Eggs from My Cute Bride
• Stawberry and Chicken Pasta Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette from Table for Seven
• Turkey, Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps from La Bella Vita Cucina

Munchies, Salads and Sides

• Almond Citrus Salad from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Banana Bread Muffins from Curious Cuisiniere
• Best Basic Hummus from Supper for a Steal
• Blueberries & Cream Granola from The Messy Baker
• Blueberry Egg Bagelsfrom What Smells So Good?
• Homemade Cheese Crackers from Growing Up Gabel
• Creamy Orzo & Peas {Dairyfree} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Mini Griddle Cakes from Noshing with the Nolands
• Quinoa and Green Bean Salad with Tibetan Dressing from Healthy. Delicious.

Sweet Treats

• Biscoff White Chocolate Blondies from Cookin’ Mimi
• Caramel and Rolo Rice Krispie Treats from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cinnamon Zucchini Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars from Alida’s Kitchen
• Cookie Butter Granola Bites from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• “Free” Brownies from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner
• Honey Oat Bars from Magnolia Days
• No Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Cookies from Pies and Plots
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies from Peanut Butter and Peppers