What if you could have
homemade pizza, but in a bite-sized roll form? Sign us up! These pizza rolls are the best of both worlds: all the flavor you love of pizza but made into a handheld snack. No need for a fancy pizza oven—all you need is cheese, pepperoni, store-bought (or homemade!) sauce, and a simple homemade dough to create these bites. Pile them up high on a platter with some marinara for dipping, and you’ll have an award-winning Super Bowl appetizer ready for game day snacking.
How to make the dough:
If you’ve ever made cinnamon rolls, you’ll be familiar with this method:
— Roll out the dough.
— Fill the dough with a flavorful filling.
—Roll up the dough, slice, and bake.
You can absolutely make these using store-bought pizza dough or from your favorite pizza restaurant, but making your own pizza dough will lead to a more flavorful pizza roll and ultimate bragging rights. Making the dough from scratch is not as intimidating as you might be imagining. Tip: If the dough is placed in a warm area of your kitchen to rise, it will likely take around 60 minutes. But if it’s a little cooler that day, it will rise in closer to 90 minutes.
The filling:
The filling ingredients can be merely a suggestion: If you keep the same ratios, you can swap out different kinds of sliced meats or even add veggies like sliced olives if that’s your favorite pizza topping. A little chopped basil or parsley right before serving would also be an eye-catching addition. Use store-bought, or make your own homemade marinara or pizza sauce.
Make them ahead:
If you’d like to you’d like to make these ahead or you only need a half batch, you can freeze them. They can be fully baked, cooled, and frozen. When you’re ready to serve, reheat from frozen in a 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes until they’re warmed through.
Made these pizza rolls? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
What if you could have
homemade pizza, but in a bite-sized roll form? Sign us up! These pizza rolls are the best of both worlds: all the flavor you love of pizza but made into a handheld snack. No need for a fancy pizza oven—all you need is cheese, pepperoni, store-bought (or homemade!) sauce, and a simple homemade dough to create these bites. Pile them up high on a platter with some marinara for dipping, and you’ll have an award-winning Super Bowl appetizer ready for game day snacking.
How to make the dough:
If you’ve ever made cinnamon rolls, you’ll be familiar with this method:
— Roll out the dough.
— Fill the dough with a flavorful filling.
—Roll up the dough, slice, and bake.
You can absolutely make these using store-bought pizza dough or from your favorite pizza restaurant, but making your own pizza dough will lead to a more flavorful pizza roll and ultimate bragging rights. Making the dough from scratch is not as intimidating as you might be imagining. Tip: If the dough is placed in a warm area of your kitchen to rise, it will likely take around 60 minutes. But if it’s a little cooler that day, it will rise in closer to 90 minutes.
The filling:
The filling ingredients can be merely a suggestion: If you keep the same ratios, you can swap out different kinds of sliced meats or even add veggies like sliced olives if that’s your favorite pizza topping. A little chopped basil or parsley right before serving would also be an eye-catching addition. Use store-bought, or make your own homemade marinara or pizza sauce.
Make them ahead:
If you’d like to you’d like to make these ahead or you only need a half batch, you can freeze them. They can be fully baked, cooled, and frozen. When you’re ready to serve, reheat from frozen in a 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes until they’re warmed through.
Made these pizza rolls? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
- Yields:
-
24
- Prep Time:
-
20 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 45 mins
Directions
-
Dough
- Step 1
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt.
- Step 2In a small bowl, stir water, oil, granulated sugar, and yeast. Pour into flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Knead with your hands until dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 3Grease another large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to bowl and toss to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.
- Step 1
-
Assembly
- Step 1Punch dough down and divide into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece to a large rectangle about 12″-by-10″. Spread marinara sauce over dough. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Shingle pepperoni slices over cheese in an even layer.
- Step 2Starting from the long side, carefully roll dough into a tight log. Arrange logs on a baking sheet seam side down and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Step 3Preheat oven to 425°. Transfer logs to a cutting board. Brush with oil, then sprinkle with salt.
- Step 4Place cornmeal in a small dish. Using a serrated knife, slice log into 12 (1″-thick) slices. Dip bottom cut sides in cornmeal. Arrange on a baking sheet, cornmeal side down, spacing 2″ apart.
- Step 5Bake rolls, rotating pans halfway through, until slightly risen and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Step 6Top with basil (if using). Serve with marinara sauce alongside for dipping.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE