Classic Vegemite & Cheese Scrolls
Soft bread scrolls with Vegemite and cheese. An Australian lunchbox staple and bakery favorite since the 1950s.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My mother's school canteen recipe - Katie Morrison
Walk into any Australian bakery, and you'll find them - golden spirals of dough swirled with that distinctively Australian combination of Vegemite and cheese. For generations of Australian kids, these scrolls were the ultimate lunchbox treat, the currency of schoolyard trades, and the reward for a good week at school.
My mum started making these in the 1980s when she worked at our local primary school canteen in Wollongong. While other schools served plain sandwiches, our canteen became famous for Mum's fresh-baked Vegemite scrolls. She'd make 200 every Tuesday and Thursday morning, starting at 6am, and they'd sell out by first recess. Kids would literally run to the canteen to get them while they were still warm.
The genius of these scrolls is their simplicity - soft, slightly sweet dough (similar to what Americans call "dinner rolls"), spread thinly with Vegemite (the key word being thinly - this is Australia, not a Fear Factor challenge), scattered with cheese, then rolled and sliced into perfect spirals. Baked until golden, they emerge with crispy edges and soft, pull-apart centers.
Mum's recipe came from her own mother, who ran a country bakery in Goulburn in the 1960s. Back then, Vegemite scrolls were a way to use up leftover bread dough and create an affordable snack for working families. They cost pennies to make but tasted like a million dollars to us kids. Even now, when I make them for my own children, I'm transported back to that school canteen, the smell of yeast and butter, and Mum's flour-dusted apron. Some recipes aren't just food - they're childhood bottled up in golden, cheesy spirals.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
Adjust Servings
Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For the Dough
For the Filling
For Finishing
Pro Tips
- • Less Vegemite is more - start with 3 tablespoons and add more if needed. Too much makes them unbearably salty.
- • Room temperature ingredients help the dough rise better - take butter and eggs out 30 minutes before starting.
- • Dental floss cuts cleaner than a knife - slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull.
- • For extra soft scrolls, brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- • These freeze brilliantly - freeze after baking, then reheat wrapped in foil at 160°C for 10 minutes.
- • Make them mini for lunchboxes by cutting into 18 smaller pieces and reducing baking time to 15-18 minutes.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked scrolls for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen wrapped in foil at 160°C for 10-12 minutes.
Instructions
- 1
Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center. Mix together the warm milk, melted butter, and beaten egg, then pour into the well. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until a shaggy dough forms.
5 minutes - 2
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky. If it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time. This kneading develops the gluten that gives the scrolls their soft, pull-apart texture.
10 minutes - 3
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size. Mum always put hers in the airing cupboard or near (not on) the warm stovetop.
1 hour - 4
While the dough rises, prepare your filling station: soften the butter, have Vegemite ready, and grate your cheese. Remember: less is more with Vegemite. You want a thin spread, not a thick layer. Too much Vegemite makes them overpoweringly salty.
- 5
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down gently to release the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle about 40cm x 30cm and roughly 5mm thick. The dough should be quite thin.
5 minutes - 6
Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 2cm border along one long edge (this helps with sealing). Now spread Vegemite thinly over the butter - think of it as a light glaze, not a thick spread. You should still see butter through it.
- 7
Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the Vegemite layer, pressing it down gently so it sticks. Save some cheese for topping later. The cheese will melt into the Vegemite creating that perfect sweet-salty-cheesy combination.
- 8
Starting from the long edge nearest you (not the one you left unbuttered), tightly roll the dough into a log, rolling away from you. When you reach the unbuttered edge, pinch it firmly to seal. Place the log seam-side down.
- 9
Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss (Mum's trick for clean cuts), slice the log into 12 even pieces, about 3-4cm thick. Don't saw - use a decisive downward cut or pull the floss through. Sawing can squash the beautiful spirals.
3 minutes - 10
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the scrolls cut-side up, leaving about 3cm between each one. They'll expand as they bake. Cover loosely with a tea towel and let them prove for another 20-30 minutes until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
25 minutes - 11
Brush the tops of the scrolls generously with egg wash - this creates that golden, glossy finish. Sprinkle with the reserved grated cheese. The cheese on top will get beautifully golden and crispy.
- 12
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top and the cheese is melted and bubbling. The scrolls should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If they're browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
25 minutes - 13
Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They're best served warm when the cheese is still slightly gooey, but they're also delicious at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days - though they rarely last that long!
5 minutes
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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