Pizza Rolls
on Apr 24, 2017, Updated Jul 09, 2023
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Made with pizza dough, these pizza rolls rise tall in the oven turning into chewy, puffy pinwheels that you can serve as dinner rolls.
I will never get sick of eating pizza…ever.
It is definitely on my top 10 and maybe even my top 5 favorite foods. If I could dissect a piece of pizza, I like the crust most followed by sauce and then cheese.
I am not a fan of pies loaded with cheese to the point that it takes over each bite. When we go out for pizza, I usually ask for light cheese.
Pizza toppings are a delicate balance. When there’s too much of one thing, it ruins the entire pizza.
Depending on the type of pizza, skipping the cheese all together is ok with me. When lots of veggies are involved, I really don’t miss it. Just pile that crust high with the rest of the toppings, and I am happy.
I like to make double batches of pizza dough, so we’re set for weeknight dinners. My son is always asking for pizza.
A few weeks ago I used leftover pizza dough to make cinnamon rolls instead of pizza. They were sweet and nice and chewy. Plus they are super easy to bake.
How To Make Pizza Rolls
This time I went savory with pizza rolls. I spread the dough with tomato sauce and pesto and sprinkled on a little cheese.
They rose tall in the oven turning into puffy pinwheels. I ended up eating one along with a big green salad for dinner.
My 3-year-old wasn’t convinced since what I was calling pizza wasn’t in the shape of a triangle. Eventually my little carb-lover came around to them.
These pizza rolls are simple to customize. You can add veggies, or for the meat eaters, pepperoni and prosciutto are great options.
To please the vegetarians and carnivores in one batch, just roll out 2 smaller rectangles of dough to top them separately.
The recipe calls for making your own pizza dough from scratch, but using store-bought dough is a helpful shortcut.
Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for bowl and brushing pizza
- 1 cup bread flour plus more for work surface
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cups tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flours and salt. Add the yeast mixture and process until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Roll the dough into a 10-inch by 16-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. Spread the tomato sauce leaving an 1/8-inch border followed by the pesto. Sprinkle all over with cheese. Roll dough into a log starting with one of the short sides. Chill in the fridge for 25 minutes. Slice the log into rolls about 1-1/2 inches wide. Place them on a prepared sheet pan spacing at least 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
