I spent most of November with my mom in New Jersey. While she napped I had the opportunity to wander backwards in time via old photos and recipes. Floods of memories rushed over me.
My mom tried very hard to keep up with the new and exciting world of food that Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet were introducing to a meat and potato nation. And one of the appetizers that I thought was the coolest thing ever was her red and green pinwheel sandwiches. Once she started making them all the other ladies on the block copied her.
For this Christmas I thought I’d give them a go. I called my mom and asked how the pinwheel sandwiches were done. Her instructions were, “Jude, just order your red and green loaves from the bakery and have them slice it the long way. Then you can fill them with cream cheese and olives, deviled ham, tuna or egg salad.”
I had a funny feeling that Proof bakery was not going to take kindly to my order of red and green sandwich bread. So this was going to be a “from scratch” endeavor.
I turned to the kitchen goddess of any era Julia Child for a bread recipe and divided it in half to make the different colored loaves. 
As for the filling I updated one and used chevre, honey toasted almonds and figs. Embracing the past I whipped up 8oz of cream cheese, spread it onto three different slices then sprinkled one with chorizo and olives and another with canned salmon. 
The final roll was with only deviled ham and unless you’ve eaten this recently I don’t advise.
Here’s to enduring holiday memories.
Red Bread or Green Bread (Or Any Color For That Matter)
- 1 ½ c warm water
- 1 ½ t yeast
- 2 t red food color (or food color of your choice)
- 1 ½ t sugar
- 3 ½ c flour
- 1 ½ t salt
- 2 oz. butter at room temperature
- Chèvre filling–4 oz chèvre 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds 3 dried black mission figs, 2 t honey
- 8 oz cream cheese whipped
- 1 can salmon
- 10 or so pitted olives
- 5 slices chorizo
- 1 can deviled ham ONLY IF YOU DARE
- Bread–In bowl of upright mixer dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water
- Add red food color to the remaining warm water. Stir
- Attach hook to mixer then add flour, sugar and salt to the yeast (remember that salt applied directly to yeast will kill it).
- Turn on low and slowly pour in water. Knead for about 3-5 minutes until flour is incorporated. If dough is sticking to the bowl add a bit more flour.
- Add the butter a bit at a time and knead until incorporated.
- If you are going to make another loaf transfer dough to bowl cover with plastic and let rise for an hour. If you are making a green loaf repeat the process except add green food color.
- After an hour turn dough to a floured surface and press into a rectangle. Fold the right and left edges so they meet in the middle and starting from the top roll dough into a log. Place in medium sized bread pan. Let rise for one hour.
- Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a rack.
- Place cream cheese in mixer and beat until spreadable. Put in different bowl
- Place chèvre and honey in bowl mix until smooth.
- Assembly Once cooled, slice the loaf from end to end, top to bottom to create a long slice. Spread whatever filling you choose to make then roll the pinwheel from the short side. Slice.
How creative for Throwback Thursday! I envision a light turquoise and a light lavender. Wouldn’t that be pretty?
I didn’t know they still made deviled ham. I guess some things like Spam and it’s cohorts die hard. I love your version with chevre, fig & almonds much better. I love making recipes from my childhood. Thanks for taking us down memory lane.
I think you should have requested the red and green bread from Proof Bakery to see what they came up with. Maybe beet coloring? And that deviled ham is bringing back traumatic childhood memories.
My uncle use to make these. I would love to do color bread for the holiday but I do not have a mixer. They were wonderful finger food for get togethers.
Sharianne you can make the bread in a bowl as well it just takes a bit more muscle. Thanks so much for stopping by.
We’ve been making these for over 30 years now. Bakeries used to make them colored but not anymore. To make rolling easier, after slicing loaf lengthwise remove crust and roll with rolling pin. Bread becomes thinner and more pliable so yo have neat rolls. Wrap each separately in wax paper and refrigerate till ready to slice and serve. We also use tuna and egg and chicken salad with black pitted olives, green with pimento or just pimento with the cream cheese. Have fun!
Thanks so much for these useful tips.
My local small bakery still make special order colored bread and they slice it long way for you.
Amy you’re so lucky to have a old school bakery near you.
Where is that bakery. I remember my mom making them in them in the 60’s in NJ. I want to make them.
Does anyone know of any bakeries in NJ or Philadelphia that still do colored breads? If not can I have a recipe to make the loaves by hand I do not have a bread machine.
Sandy I tried to send you an email but it was kicked back. The recipe is below the post.
My Mother-in-law made these. With green olives in the red and cherries in the red. It was great. I will try and save your receipt .
I can remember my mom talking about these all the time. I know it would be hard to find colored bread, but do u think the bread cutting machines in shops today could cut a loaf longway if you asked??? Or are they configured in such a way it wouldn’t work???
Tammy I’m not sure if the new machines can cut the loaf long ways. Maybe ask?
I cannot believe someone else knows of the “colored bread” as I knew them! My husband’s grandmother made these, then his mom, then us! Local bakeries will not color the bread, so I thought about maybe just running a thin line of food coloring across the roll. We always identified the filling by the color. I do, however, have a bakery that makes Pullman bread (what was always used, I think due to density) & will slice longways (I’m in a NYC borough) They always ask what we’re doing with it that way LOL
Thank you for your post!!! Merry Christmas!
Dee thanks so much for stopping by My Well Seasoned Life. These are one of my fondest memories of growing up. Merry Christmas!!