Italian Five Cheese Rugelach

Last year I made a sweet Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pecan Rugelach for the blog, around Christmas time because whenever I think of the holidays I think of rugelach. And just in case you don’t know what rugelach is, it’s a Jewish pastry/cookie that is shaped like a crescent and made with sour cream and/or cream cheese, giving it a much denser texture than a flaky croissant dough. Even though for me they’re very much synonymous with the holidays, they are actually eaten all year round. I love them so much that I wanted to remake them but with a fun new twist. You know me, I can’t leave things well enough alone. I recently went to a small local cafe here in Los Angeles called Sqirl, which is so hip and trendy and popping that I wasn’t even sure I was worthy enough to be there. The food is unbelievable, along with their homemade jams and desserts. The treats change from time to time, but they did have a savory rugelach that was calling out my name. Cheesy savory dough pastries that can be dipped in marinara sauce. 

I’ve had my fair share of frozen pizzas, I’m not afraid to admit it, who hasn’t? I wanted these to taste just like that five cheese Italian frozen pizza that has five different cheeses and a light sprinkling of Italian seasoning. So I took my regular rugelach dough that I know very well and love, and then brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled it with my five different cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, provolone and asiago), and of course, I couldn’t forget the Italian seasoning. I took a little help from the store and served them with store-bought pizza sauce and called it macaroni. They’re perfect for parties as an appetizer or midday snack. These are 100 times better than frozen pizza or pizza bites. Make these for your friends and family or just yourself and get ready to have the best savory rugelach you’ve ever had in your life, without ever knowing you could. 

Let’s start by making a batch of regular rugelach dough. I’m using the recipe I used for my Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pecan Rugelach from last year. It’s a basic dough that isn’t sweet at all. It’s made with cream cheese and sour cream, making it super tender. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt with the butter until coarse crumbs form. Add the sour cream and cold cream cheese and stir until well combined and the dough comes together. 

**Tip: You can stir this dough by hand, with a little bit of elbow grease, or you can make this in a stand-mixer fitted with the hook attachment.**

 Divide the dough in half and then wrap each half in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and chill for at least one hour or overnight. 

**Note: If you decide to go the overnight route, allow the dough to come to room temperature a bit before rolling it out. If you go straight from the fridge after that long, it’ll be difficult to roll.**

Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, to a large circle with 1/4 of an inch thick. Trim the edge so that you have a smooth(ish) round. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with all the cheeses, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Cut into 16 thin triangles. 

Roll each one starting from the widest edge all the way down to the thin point. They’ll look like small croissants.

**Tip: When rolling them, make sure to roll them tightly so that they stay rolled during baking.**

Transfer the rugelach to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to space them out evenly so that they have room to spread and rise during baking. Place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer to chill for a bit. Repeat with the second half of the dough, brushing with olive oil, sprinkling with cheese, and more seasoning. 

Once they’re all rolled and ready to go. Brush each with egg wash (an egg whisked with a splash of water). This will ensure that the rugelach have that great glossy sheen and golden brown color. 

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. To ensure even brownness, rotate the baking sheets halfway though baking, rotating from top to bottom and front to back. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating or serving. 

The great thing about these rugelach is that you can freeze them for later, either before or after you bake them. If you want to bake them prior to baking, lay them out on a baking sheet, snugly, and then freeze solid. Then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and keep in there until ready to bake and eat. To bake, just lay out on a baking sheet, brush with egg and bake. You don’t have to worry about thawing them out or anything. 

If you want to make things even easier, you can bake them first and then freeze them. Then just rewarm in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Just serve and enjoy. 

 Feel free to fill these with whatever kinds of cheeses you like. They don’t have to be all five that I used, it can be a combination of whatever you prefer or have on hand. This would be a great idea for so many other filling options both sweet and savory. The sky’s the limit, and go crazy. 

If you really want these to taste like pizza, try adding small strips of chopped up pepperoni and then rolling the triangles up. That will really take them over the edge. I wanted to keep them vegetarian and to taste just like those frozen five cheese Italian pizzas. 

These are great for an appetizer at parties, served alongside store-bought pizza sauce or marinara sauce for that extra touch. They’re also awesome as a snack throughout the day. They’re easy to pop into your mouth and not have to worry about breaking out the fancy china or anything. Make these soon, you’ll be glad you did! 

Italian Five Cheese Rugelach

These Italian Five Cheese Rugelach taste just like pizza! Five cheeses mixed with Italian seasoning rolled in a flaky dough and served with pizza sauce!

Servings 32 rugelach

Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
• 16 ounces 2 blocks cream cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 egg whisked with splash of water

Filling

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 cup pizza sauce for dipping

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and break it down with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the cream cheese and sour cream, mixing until the dough comes together and is no longer dry. It should be moist and somewhat smooth. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and allow to chill for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the dough halves into a large circle, about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut the edges to make a perfect (or somewhat perfect) circle. Brush the dough with half of the olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the cheeses, and half of the Italian seasoning. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 16 even triangles.
• Roll each triangle into a croissant shape, starting with the widest edge. Place the rolled pastries on the prepared baking sheets. Once all rolled, place baking sheet in fridge and repeat with the second half of dough.
• Brush the rugelach with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely. Rugelach will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
• Pastries can be frozen right before baking. When ready to bake, brush with egg wash (directly from freezer) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 minutes longer than directed. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite