Steamed Pesto Bread Rolls
Steamed pesto bread rolls are soft, fluffy buns filled with fragrant basil pesto, made with wholemeal flour, milk and a crunchy sunflower seed topping. The Thermomix TM7 kneads the dough to a silky consistency and steams the rolls gently in the Varoma, keeping them wonderfully moist. Ideal as a snack, lunch or buffet treat for the whole family.
About this recipe
Steamed pesto bread rolls Thermomix TM7 are the kind of recipe that turns a simple snack into something special. Instead of baking, these herby rolls are gently steamed in the Varoma, which keeps the wholemeal dough incredibly soft and moist while the pesto filling melts into every swirl. If you have been searching for easy steamed bread recipes or pesto buns made in an all-in-one kitchen machine, this is the one to try. The TM7 kneads plain and wholemeal flour with milk, eggs, sugar and yeast into a smooth, elastic dough without any hand work, and the built-in scale weighs every ingredient directly into the bowl so nothing can go wrong. Dried oregano and basil perfume the dough itself, while sunflower seeds add a nutty crunch on top. Serve these rolls warm at a weekend brunch, pack them in a lunchbox, or offer them at a party buffet where they disappear within minutes.
Preparation tips
- Roll the dough into a neat rectangle before spreading the pesto, leaving a small border free so the filling stays inside the rolls during steaming and does not leak onto the Varoma tray.
- Brush the shaped rolls with a little milk before sprinkling the sunflower seeds on top; this helps the seeds stick and gives the finished pesto buns a lovely sheen.
- Leftover rolls reheat well: steam them briefly again in the Varoma or warm them in a pan with a lid, and the soft texture returns almost as if freshly made.
Recipe variations
- Make a lactose-free version by replacing the milk with a plant-based alternative such as oat or almond drink; the pesto buns stay just as soft and the herbs still carry the flavour.
- For a festive variant, swap the pesto for sun-dried tomato paste and add grated cheese to the dough, creating red-and-green swirls that look beautiful on a Christmas or party buffet.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Kneading plain and wholemeal flour with milk and eggs takes just minutes, giving silky elastic dough without any tired hands. [Time Savings]
- The steaming function cooks the pesto rolls in the Varoma gently, keeping every bun moist and fluffy instead of dry. [Multi-Function]
- With the built-in scale you weigh the sunflower seeds and flour directly into the bowl, avoiding extra cups to wash up. [Built-in Scale]
- Precise heating of the water below the Varoma keeps the steam constant, so the oregano-scented rolls bake evenly every time. [Precision Control]
- Grinding a portion of sunflower seeds adds a nutty freshness to the wholemeal dough that ready-bought flour cannot match. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- sunflower seeds
- milk
- plain flour
- wholemeal flour
- granulated sugar
- dried instant yeast
- medium eggs
- dried oregano
- dried basil