As I recall, it was regular white sandwich bread with crusts removed and rolled out by a rolling pin to flatten it. After filling and rolling, the rolls were tightly wrapped in waxed paper or plastic wrap, chilled for about an hour, and then unwrapped and sliced with a serrated knife into pinwheel sandwiches.

When I was younger the bakery I worked at would slice bread lengthwise instead of regular slice - by request, of course. I'm sure most would do this for you.

I have the same memory as ruthanna. You took a loaf of sandwich bread because it has a fine, even texture (not a lot of holes) in order to hold the spread/filling. You don't want the spread/filling oozing through large holes found on an Artisan loaf, as an example.

Instructions from "The Good Housekeeping Cook Book" copyright 1942:

Pinwheel Sandwiches

1 loaf fresh white bread, unsliced
butter or margarine
stuffed olives (optional)

Cut crusts from bread. Cut bread in thin lengthwise slices. Spread each slice with butter, cream cheese, cream cheese tinted with food coloring, sandwich filling, or parsley butter, etc. Firmly roll up each slice. Or place row of stuffed olives across beginning end, before rolling. Wrap, seam side down, in waxed paper, then in damp cloth. Chill at least 1/2 hour; cut in thin slices.

-Grainlady

I do recal what Ginny was talking about, albeit vaguely. I remember helping to make them for my Norwegian friend's Christmas feasts a few years in a row. I'm sorry to be so vague, but maybe the Norwegian element will help with a search. If I remember anything else, I'll let you know.
Jane

If it came from the freezer section could it have been puff pastry? But if it didn't come from the freezer section could it have been crescent rolls?

I remember at parties in the 70-80s seeing all of these little rolled and baked appetizers. I think they might have been made with crescents.

Here is what I was talking about. I believe
that we sprinkled it with water for much the same reason that tea sandwiches are covered with a damp towel.
Jane

Here is a link that might be useful: Lefse

Must be regional. :) We used lavosh in the 1960's, though some people used XL tortillas. :)

I remember as a child and young teen spending hours with my Norwegian grandmother making dozens of lefse for Christmas. She did add potatoes to hers. The trick was to roll them as thin as possible and just to griddle them until pale brown spots showed. The only way we ate them was buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then rolled up and eaten out of hand.

Thanks for all your feedback but nothing sounds like what I remember. Let me re-state it....

I call it a bread because it was probably flour, salt, water and maybe a bit of fat. It was about 12" by 12" square. It was a package of maybe 6 of those squares. It was in plastic wrap and not refrigerated as I may have said earlier.

To use it you would lightly sprinkle water on it and then spread something like cream cheese, turkey, cheese, cucumbers etc., anything yummie. Then roll it up like a log and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning cut it into 1" logs.

As I think more about this I probably did this in the 80's not 1960's. Even if I can't buy it anymore I might be able to come up with a recipe and try it myself.

Thanks so much for your ideas!

Ginny

Perhaps there is something at the link below that fits the bill. Whatever it is, please come back and let us know if you get it figured out. You've got my attention..... ;-)

If it's not a tortilla, perhaps it's a flatbread of some kind, or perhaps wonton wraps.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Wraps - Roll-Ups - Pinwheels

My mother made something rolled in the late 60's, early 70's. Possibly in a GoodHousekeeping magazine recipe. Not sure at all what she used but guessing it was a new available product.
Not flaky like a filo or pastry, but did puff a bit when sliced and baked. She would try things but often short-lived. She would try things, then back to the easy basics trying to feed a family of 6.
(both my parents worked full time)....pasta night, burger night,...
Curious what that might be.

I found it!! It's called Hye Roller. Interestingly, my grocery store, Nob Hill, has it to make sandwiches in their deli dept but they no longer have it out on the shelf for us to buy. We can buy it from the deli dept.

I just talked to someone at their main office and he had no explanation as to why it's not on the shelf anymore. He said they do sell it all over the US.

The package I bought has 6 large pieces. It will keep in the freezer for 6 months. I plan to make some yummie sandwiches for myself :)

Ginny

Here is a link that might be useful: Hye Roller

Ginny,
The Hye roller you linked is the same thing as Lavash. They are Armenian cracker bread.
Good luck with your sandwiches!

"Me, three!" with ruthanna and grainlady.

We made pinwheel sandwiches as light hors d'oeuvres for our wedding, and made them ahead of time with different fillings. We'd order pullman loaves in pastel colors from our local bakery, which saved us the trouble of slicing it lengthwise.

Interesting thread!

Smiles,
Sooz