Swiss Rolls have been around since the early 1900s.
They were originally called “Swiss Cake Rolls” because they were baked into round pieces that resembled an egg shape.
The name was changed during World War II due to the fact that the country of Switzerland had strict rationing laws at the time.
The cakes would be rolled up and stored in paper wrappers until it was time to eat them again.
What Is A Swiss Roll?
Swiss rolls are typically made from either puff pastry or phyllo dough.
The main ingredient is usually butter.
Other ingredients include sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
These components combine to create a tender, flaky crust that can hold up well to both sweet fillings like jam or cream cheese frosting and savory ones like meats and cheeses.
You will find these rolls at bakeries, supermarkets, and restaurants across America.
Some even make their own versions using store-bought puff pastry sheets instead of making their own.
While there are many variations on this classic dish, most recipes call for cutting out rounds of batter, rolling them up, and then glazing each one before serving.
How Is A Swiss Roll Made?
This delicious treat is often served as part of a meal or can serve as its own main dish depending on your preference.
It is usually cut into slices and served warm from the oven while still slightly wet inside.
This ensures you get the softest texture possible when biting into the sweet bread.
To make a traditional Swiss Roll, start by preparing two layers of thin-to-medium thickness spongecake.
Next, brush each layer lightly with melted butter.
Place one stack of spongecake on top of the other and spread a generous amount of softened cream cheese over both sides of the spongecake.
Then, roll the spongecakes tightly together and slice them into 1/4 inch thick rounds using a sharp knife.
Spread some jam (or jelly) between the layers and then place the rolls seam side down onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
When the rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven and let cool completely before slicing them open.
To do so, use a serrated knife to carefully slice along the center line of the rolls.
Once sliced open, spoon a generous amount of whipped cream cheese filling into the middle of the rolls.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for later consumption.
What Is The History Of The Swiss Roll?
Swiss rolls are typically made from a basic butter-flour mixture, along with eggs, sugar, and leaveners such as baking powder or soda.
Sometimes lemon juice may also be added.
After mixing these ingredients together, they will usually need to rest overnight before being used to create your finished product.
While some recipes call for cutting the whole mix into small squares, others suggest using a cookie cutter to cut out circles instead.
Once all of the circles are formed, they can then be arranged on a greased pan and allowed to bake for about 20 minutes (or until golden brown).
After removing them from the oven, you should allow the rolls to cool completely before attempting to remove them from their pans.
This process allows the layers of dough to harden so that when you try to pull them off, they won’t tear.
If you want to speed things up, you can place them on a wire rack and let them cool down.
Once they’re cooled, you’ll begin rolling your dough by taking one circle in each hand.
Then take both sides and fold over on top of each other, creating a crease.
Next, open up the edges and continue folding in half, forming another crease.
Repeat this process once more before placing the entire piece back onto its original sheet pan.
Continue doing this until all of the sheets are completed.
How Do You Make A Swiss Roll?
A traditional Swiss Roll Recipe calls for three layers of thin bread dough which gets wrapped around a sweetened buttercream frosting.
To assemble, start by making your first layer of bread dough.
It can either be homemade or purchased from the store.
If using store-bought, add about 1/3 cup (75g) of sugar to the flour mixture before adding water.
This will help prevent the rolls from getting soggy when baking them.
You should also use very cold water when mixing the dough so that the gluten strands don’t begin to cook while baking.
When ready, divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
Flour work surface and rolling pin then roll out each section onto a piece of parchment paper.
You should now have 3 separate rounds of dough, but one of them may not be big enough to cover all the other layers.
Don’t worry though, just cut off what doesn’t fit and leave it on the counter top as a spare.
Place the large round of dough on top of the smaller ones.
Next, spread a generous amount of softened cream cheese over the bottom half of the larger circle, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) bare along the sides.
Now take the small circles of dough, place it over the exposed area of the larger circle, and press down gently.
Trim away excess dough, if necessary.
Repeat these steps with remaining slices of dough and filling.
To finish assembling the roll, brush some melted buttercream icing under the edges of the largest slice of dough.
Fold it like a letter, starting with the side without the filling.
Starting at the edge closest to you, fold the dough inward towards the center.
Continue folding the entire roll back upon itself, ending with the last two folds overlapping, forming a neat package.
Brush more melted buttercream icing on top of the roll, followed by sprinkling confectioners’ sugar evenly over the entire roll.
Bake according to instructions below.
What Are The Ingredients In A Swiss Roll?
A swiss roll should contain four basic elements:
- Sponge Cake – This type of cake can vary widely depending on the baker. It may include nuts or chocolate chips, but will typically consist of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and baking powder.
- Filling – There are many different fillings available, from cream cheese to jam. Some bakers like to add fruit as well (like strawberries) while others choose to use whipped cream instead.
- Glaze – This is optional, but some people prefer glazing their rolls with powdered sugar while others leave out the extra step altogether. If you decide not to glaze your roll, be warned that the outside won’t stick together very well if you don’t.
- Parchment Paper – This is used to line the pan before putting the dough inside it. You’ll need enough parchment to cover the entire bottom of the pan without having to go over the sides too much.
What Is The Difference Between A Swiss Roll And A Jelly Roll?
A jelly roll is made by rolling out a sheet of dough and cutting it into strips.
It then gets spread with jam or jelly before being rolled back together and sliced into individual rolls.
This type of roll is often served as a breakfast treat.
A Swiss Roll is similar to a jelly roll but uses a different kind of dough.
Instead of using plain flour, you will need to use either all-purpose or bread flour.
You can also add 1 tablespoon of baking powder with your dry ingredients if desired.
You will also want to make sure that both eggs and butter are room temperature when mixing them together.
If not, heat them slightly in the microwave or on the stovetop first.
This makes the batter more pliable so that it doesn’t break down while rolling out the dough.
Lastly, you may choose to brush the tops of each roll individually with melted butter instead of spreading it over the entire surface like you would do with a jelly roll.
What Is The Difference Between A Swiss Roll And A Sponge Cake?
A typical sponge or angel food cake contains eggs and sugar along with other ingredients like flour or cornstarch.
In contrast, a Swiss Roll has no eggs or butter in the batter.
It also does not contain any leaveners (baking powder) or fats like shortening or oil.
Instead, a sponge roll uses gelatin as the binder instead of baking powder.
When mixed together properly, the dry mixture will form a soft dough that can be stretched out without breaking.
Once the dough is pulled apart, it forms two layers which sandwich a layer of jam in the middle.
This is where the similarities end.
While a sponge cake is typically served on its own or topped with whipped cream, a Swiss Roll is usually served with ice cream, fruit preserves, or chocolate syrup.
This version of the sweet treat is known as a Jelly Roll.
What Are Some Variations Of The Swiss Roll?
There are many different ways to make a swiss roll but all of them involve forming a jelly-like dough using yeast or baking powder as a leavener (baking agent).
This dough can then be cut into rounds before being rolled up like a log and placed on a greased cookie sheet.
Once it has set, you can cover it with either powdered sugar or icing and top it off with whipped cream, fruit compote or jam.
How Do You Serve A Swiss Roll?
When I think about a traditional swiss roll, I picture one being served on top of a plate or platter with whipped cream.
However, there are many different ways you can enjoy your own homemade version of this treat.
You could slice it open like a sandwich and fill the inside with jam or fruit salad.
Or you could just cut off the end of the roll before serving and dip the outside in chocolate frosting.
These options sound delicious! But what is the best way to make a swiss roll?
What Are Some Tips For Making A Perfect Swiss Roll?
When I first got my hands on a swiss roll pan, one thing immediately stood out as being different from other non-stick pans – there wasn’t much residue left after baking.
It didn’t take long before I started using the pan for everything from pancakes to brownies.
So when it came time to make a swiss roll, I knew exactly what kind of results I wanted! First off, I like to use a 9 x 13 inch rectangular pan instead of a square or 8 x 11 pan.
This allows me to get two rolls out of each batch which means less waste per serving.
If you don’t want to buy a new pan, you can always bake your rolls in a large sheet tray (just keep in mind that you will need more space than if you used a regular pan).
Next, I line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper so that the bread doesn’t stick to the pan while rolling.
You could also use waxed paper but I find that parchment paper works better because it stays put even after many uses and makes easy clean up.
Next, I lay down a sheet of plastic wrap over the parchment paper.
While this may seem unnecessary, it helps prevent the parchment paper from sticking to itself later on.
Once I have all of these things lined together, I spray the top of both sides of the pan with cooking spray.
Now comes the fun part! Using a circular cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut out 2 circles about 1/3″ wide.
Place the circle, sprayed side down, onto the parchment paper and then flip it over onto the plastic wrap lining the pan.
Then, carefully lift up the plastic wrap and place the dough right into the center of the pan, smoothing it out evenly.
Now, let the dough sit for 5 minutes, giving the gluten enough time to relax and stretch slightly.
After 5 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and repeat steps 4 & 5 until you run out of dough.
I usually only make half of the amount of dough needed for the entire batch of rolls.
Half way through step 4, spread another layer of parchment paper over the plastic wrap on the pan, spraying it lightly with cooking spray and repeating steps 3-5.
At this point, you should already have 12 layers of dough stacked on top of each other.
Remove the last piece of parchment paper and gently peel back the plastic wrap.
Once the plastic is removed, sprinkle the top of the stack of dough in the pan with powdered sugar.
Use a bench scraper to scrape down any excess sugar and smooth it out with your fingers.
Now, just chill the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the dough to firm up.
Make sure not to skip this step, otherwise the finished product won’t hold its shape.
After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When ready, loosen the edges of the dough by running a knife between the inside edge and the outside edge.
Carefully turn the dough over onto a cutting board, keeping the inside edge facing upwards.
With a sharp knife, slice the dough lengthwise into thirds.
Starting from the middle, start slicing the dough towards the outer edges, rotating the roll 90 degrees every few slices.
Continue to slice the roll crosswise, alternating direction every few slices.
You should end up with 6 slices total.
Slice those into thin strips and then fan out the strips to form a star pattern.
Repeat this process with remaining dough.
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Equipment
- electric hand whisk,
- large metal spoon
- baking parchment
- Oven
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- butter to grease
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g caster sugar plus extra 2 tbsp to dust
- 50 g self-raising flour sieved
- 100 g strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 5. 4. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin (16 x 28cm) with baking parchment.
- With an electric hand whisk, combine the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes, or until thick and pale. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the flour in two batches. Fill the tin halfway with the mixture and gently press it into the corners. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and firm. If you overbake the sponge, it will break when rolled.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar over a square of baking parchment while the sponge is baking. Microwave for 20 seconds to warm the jam.
- Place the baked sponge on the sugared parchment paper. Remove the lining paper and spread the warm jam over the sponge. Roll up from the short edge, aided by the paper, and cool on a wire rack.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.