Ham and cheese pinwheels are some of my favorite appetizers for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

yield

time

Ingredients

For Dough – 3 cups flour all-purpose – 1/4 cup sugar – 1 teaspoon Kosher salt – 1 tablespoon dry active yeast – 1/4 cup butter softened – 1 egg – 1 cup warm water or milk For Ham and Cheese Pinwheels – pizza sauce – 8 slices ham thick slices, cut into about 2 inch squares – 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese or any cheese of your choice, cut into squares, about 2 inch – 1-2 egg yolks whisked – seasame seeds for garnish – chives chopped for garnish, optional

30 pinwheels

1 hr 10 mins

Step 1

Combine the dough ingredients and give it a good mix. If using a bread machine, use the “dough” setting and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk. This should be about 1-2 hours.

Step 2

Once proofed, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each one into a rectangle shape.

Step 3

Cut each one of those rectangles into 8-9 equally sized 3-inch squares. Use a pizza cutter to make 1” slits diagonally from each corner towards the center.

Step 4

Place a small amount of pizza sauce in the center of the square, followed by ham and cheese.

Step 5

To form the pinwheel, take the right corner of each slit and place it in the center of the square. Repeat with just the 4 corners.

Step 6

Secure the assembled pinwheel with a toothpick into the center and once all the pinwheels are made, transfer them to a parchment-lined bread machine Cover with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until doubled in size.

Step 7

Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375F and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top.

Step 8

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and when removed from the oven, remove the toothpicks from each ham and cheese pizza pinwheel. Garnish with fresh chives if desired and enjoy!