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These rolls are made by rolling short pastry dough thin (0.5 cm/0.2 inch), cutting it in small squares (ca. 5 cm / 2 inches) and rolling a small log of turkish delight (1x1x4 cm, 0.5x0.5x1.5 inches) in the square, resulting in a cylinder filled with turkish delight. They are baked (the turkish delight melts to a honey-like viscosity in the oven, but usually doesn't flow out), left to cool, then confectioner's sugar is sifted over them. The turkish delight filling resolidifies somewhat after cooling, but not to its completely dry state from before baking. They are not supposed to cook hard and dry and brown, they are more like Russian tea cakes in texture.

lokum rolls

The problem with this recipe is that more often than not, the pastry is underbaked in the middle. I think that the combination of a thick roll and getting soggy from the melted filling is responsible for the problem. However, I don't have a solution. Using less crust isn't an option - not only would the ratio of crust to filling be disturbed, but if there isn't substantial overlap in the cylinder walls, the melted lokum is likely to flow out during baking (I've had that happen). Blindbaking isn't an option - not only don't I have an idea how to hold the shape, but also the upper part of the crust will overbake during the real baking later. It is already baked at lowish temperatures, so I don't think that lowing it further will help.

Any ideas how to get well-baked rolls while keeping the nice gooey filling?

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I would start by rolling the pastry dough thinner; I often have my dough too thick the first time or two that I work with a recipe. Keep the dough cold to make it easier to work with.

Next, I would try different oven times and temperatures. Try a temperature 25-50 degrees (F) higher, and pull the rolls out 30 seconds to one minute sooner. The nice thing about playing with oven times and temps is that you can go through many tests quickly by just putting a few of the items in for each time/temp combination. (Extra mass in the oven, such as a pizza stone or even some bricks, will help keep the oven temp more steady.)

If the outside of your rolls are getting over done before the inside is done, try chilling the rolls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before baking.

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There are two techniques I can think of, that might help. You can try one or the other, or both, as it suits your fancy.

First, you mention that a thinner roll of pastry will affect the ratio of filling? Make the whole log thinner. Take that same square of dough, make it into a longer rectangle. take the same cylinder of turkish delight, make it into a longer cylinder to match. Each pastry has the same amount of each, so the ratio will be the same - but the pastry will bake more quickly and thoroughly. You will have to shorten cooking times, and the thinner rolls will also dry faster if you're not careful, but it can be done.

The second technique is a little more complicated. It helps to have a pizza stone or baking tile, and to make sure the oven is well preheated. Bake them at a somewhat higher temperature, with a shorter baking time, as KatieK suggests - but when the rolls are still underdone, turn off the oven. The residual heat will continue baking the rolls, but since the oven coils are off, the heat won't be directional to brown the upper part of the rolls more quickly than the inside.

The indirect heat means they will take longer during this phase (for example, if you turned off the oven with 5min to go, it may take 10 min or more to actually finish), and it may take some experimentation to find the correct results - if the rolls aren't close enough to being done, the oven may cool before they finish cooking, and if they're too close, they might overcook anyway. But it does give finer control and a bit more flexibility over the top being browned versus a dish being cooked through.

Again, there's a risk the pastry will dry a little more quickly if you're not careful. Depending on the recipe, I might be very careful about cooking times to avoid the effect, keep a dish of water in the oven so the environment is moister, or simply brush the outside in water at some point. If you brush the ops in water when you turn the oven off, it will also help retard any browning or overcooking of the tops of the rolls.

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  • Interesting ideas. I am not sure I can make the rolls thinner. First, the standard roll is already made from a 4 mm thick lokum stick wrapped in a 4 mm thick pastry. Lokum is almost too soft to be cut in a stick shape if it is less than that. Second, there must be a way around the problem, since I'm making the typical size and thickness for these, so all the other bakers must be getting them OK with this thickness. I should try the indirect heat.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Jun 19, 2016 at 10:33
  • The point about standard size is well made, there has to be a way if other bakers do so - though I'm assuming you don't have access to other bakers willing to tell you how, more's the pity. Indirect heat will probably help, as long as the oven has enough heat stored to last through the end of the baking.
    – Megha
    Jun 20, 2016 at 0:38

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