These pull-apart stuffed pizza rolls are a fun pizza alternative! Your favorite pizza toppings encased in soft dough, served with pizza sauce to dip.
Today I bring you yet another variation on pizza - my third within the past year.
At the start of the pandemic, I got into making homemade pizza for my family, and we all loved it so much that it has never stopped.
I make it at least every couple of weeks. I always use the same dough, but I alternate between traditional pizza, and these Pull-Apart Stuffed Pizza Rolls.
While these delightful little cheese-stuffed rolls are made from all the same pizza ingredients you know and love, the "toppings" are encased in soft dough instead of on top of it.
My family often eats them for dinner with a salad or other vegetables, but they work well as snacks for parties or while watching movies or sports too.
How to make stuffed pizza rolls:
Making these pizza rolls starts the same way making any homemade pizza starts - with the dough.
The dough recipe I use is my favorite, and my kids say it's the best pizza crust they've ever had. BUT - it takes a long time to make (most of it is hands-off time). It needs to be made at least 24 hours before you intend to make the pizza (rolls).
If you don't have time for that, feel free to use another recipe, or use store-bought pizza dough. Pro-tip: ask your favorite pizzeria if they're willing to sell you some dough to use at home. Note that this recipe calls for 2 pounds (about 1kg) of dough.
When you're ready to make your pizza rolls, set out your filling ingredients, put on some music, and give yourself a bit of time. While these rolls are a fun alternative to pizza, they do take more time to put together.
Making these rolls requires cutting the dough into 24 pieces (I use a kitchen scale to help make sure the pieces are all of equal size). Each piece of dough is then flattened into a patty, the toppings placed on the dough, and the edges of the dough folded around the toppings and pinched into place to form a ball.
These balls are placed into oiled cake pans to rise, then brushed with garlic oil, sprinkled with Parmesan, and baked. If you like, you can serve them with warm tomato sauce, but they're also good on their own.
Stuffed Pizza Roll Variations:
Pizza is great because you can choose your own toppings and make it your own to fit with your family's preferences.
These stuffed pizza rolls are no different. I listed pepperoni and olives because that's the way my family likes them. I've also made them with cooked Italian sausage, and those were great too.
Feel free to change up the filling in your pizza rolls to make them your own. You can even think outside the "traditional" pizza box if you want:
- Buffalo style: Shredded chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese
- Cheeseburger style: Cooked ground beef, cheddar or American cheese, and a pickle slice
- Hawaiian: Diced ham, pineapple tidbit, and mozzarella cheese
- Breakfast style: Scrambled eggs, chopped bacon, and cheddar cheese
What style of pull-apart pizza rolls will you make?
Want more Pizza recipes?
Pull-Apart Stuffed Pizza Rolls Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is per pizza roll - remember to multiply these numbers by the number of pizza rolls you actually eat.
The nutrition information does not include olives or pizza sauce.
Serve your pizza rolls with a green salad to make a complete meal.
Pull-Apart Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Equipment
- Kitchen scale Use to divide the dough into 24 equal pieces
- 2 8" round cake pan either 8" or 9" will work
Ingredients
- 1 recipe pizza dough or 2 pounds of your favorite store-bought pizza dough
- 8 ounces pizza mozzarella
- 48 slices pepperoni
- small can sliced black olives optional
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing the pans
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 recipe pizza sauce or your favorite store-bought pizza sauce
Instructions
- Generously grease 2 8" or 9" round cake pans with olive oil. Set aside.
- Cut pizza dough into 24 equal pieces (about 36g or 1.3 ounces per piece - use a kitchen scale to help make sure all pieces are the same size). Keep the dough pieces covered with a damp, clean dish towel or piece of plastic wrap. Cut mozzarella into 24 equal pieces (about 1"x1"x0.5" or 2cmx2cmx1cm). If using olives, drain them well.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, form it into a flat, round, patty. Place pieces of pepperoni, one piece of cheese, and a couple olive slices (if using) in the middle of the dough. Pull the edges of dough up around the "toppings" and pinch the edges completely closed. Place the dough ball, seam side down, in one of the prepared cake pans. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings, placing 12 balls into each pan.
- Cover each pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for 45-60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, move the oven rack to the lowest position, and heat the oven to 400°F. Place the smashed garlic clove and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil into a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the garlic is bubbling and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
- Once the pizza rolls have risen, brush the garlic oil gently over the tops of all the rolls. Sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan cheese (1 Tablespoon for each pan). Bake the pizza rolls for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are browned. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Use a butter knife, if needed to help remove any pizza rolls that are stuck to the pan.
- Serve with warmed pizza sauce to dip, if desired.
Nutrition
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