Pizza Pinwheels (Pizza on a Stick!)
Today is the first day of school for my two boys. It is always bittersweet. They are excited to see their friends, but the prospect of all that structure and homework has them just a touch apprehensive. I’ll miss them running around the house and yet I look forward to the quiet. I also have another year of coming up with lunches that they will be excited about. The first day of school deserves something particularly special, like something on a stick. This week is also the MN State Fair, where all things edible are on a stick. For some reason everything tastes better balanced on the end of a pointy skewer?
Last year Jeff and I did a baking demo at the FAIR and put cinnamon buns on a stick. One might think pizza is the perfect food as it is, but I think I may have found an improvement, at least for those under the age of 20. Pizza pinwheels on a stick!
Pizza Pinwheels
Makes about 24
1 pound (grapefruit size) piece of dough (I used the Master recipe (page 25), but Olive Oil dough (page 134), Whole Wheat (page 74-9) or even Brioche (page 189) would be great!)
1/2 cup pizza sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
pepperoni or other favorite toppings
preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Set up 2 0r 3 baking sheet pans with parchment or Silpats, set aside.
Roll the dough out to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle, using enough flour so the dough doesn’t stick.
layer on the sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Leave some of the cheese exposed so that it can melt and act as a glue, to hold the pizza rolls together.
Roll the dough into a log, starting at the long end.
Using kitchen shears, cut the dough into 1/2-inch thick buns. (I only baked 16 and then wrapped the rest of the log, refrigerated it and will bake it later this week. You can also cut and freeze the individual pizza rounds to thaw and bake within the next 2 weeks.)
Place them on the prepared sheet, leaving plenty of space for them to expand when they bake. Allow them to rest on the counter for about 15-20 minutes.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and the cheese has melted and caramelized a bit.
Put them on a stick or let them cool and pack them in a lunch box!
They are tasty and fun. Enjoy!
SO CUTE ! I am making them tomorrow!! 🙂
Ok, these are too freakn’ cute!! What a great idea! I’m thinking these would be perfect Football Sunday food … yum.
Zoe – I’ve been making these for years! (no stick, though). Pop them in the freezer and pull out for a lunchbox. They’re thawed by lunchtime, and the kids actually like it!
how cute are those! I bet they’d be a huge hit at a kids birthday party
I love this idea, even without the sticks. I’m totally making these for my next party!
I think I’ll make these for a baby shower I’m hosting in 2 weeks. They’ll be perfect!
OK, I am sold. I MUST make these for my daughter’s lunch! I suspect my husband would like them, too.
love the step-by-step PHOTOS
These are wonderful.. Couldn’t I use a breadstick and then the entire thing is edible?
Cook them with skewer and remove then insert breadstick. What do you think?
My son will love these with just cheese, or maybe some ham on them. I just showed these to him he’d like them for dinner, lol!
I loved the idea.
The kids will go crazy.
Thanks
What an awesome idea! Can’t wait to try it!
what a great idea! brilliant. Perfect idea for a party.
Darling!
How fun! And I don’t think you need to be under 20 to enjoy these… they’ll make you feel like a kid again 😉
Saw you at the kitchn and I’m glad I did. This idea is so creative and fun. Great job!
These look fantastic! I can’t wait to try this!
I bet my husband would like these in his lunch! He’s waaay over 20.
Carrie: 40 is the new 20.
50 is the new 30…
Etc.
Jeff
Genius! The best things come on sticks (or in sticks, as in a stick of butter : )
Some parents get together and tailgate before our kids football games since we have to be there so early this would be a terrific addition to the menu. I am making this for Saturday.
Thanks
Perfect for out after school playdate today, thanks for the great idea!!
What a great idea! I love it! So cute!
Super idea – my daughter would enjoy both making and eating these. Would be a great thing to serve at a kids’ party!
You know, while most over 20 wouldn’t admit to it they’d probably be very happy eating this if the stick wasn’ there. 🙂
What a fantastic idea! I have a bucket of olive oil dough in my fridge now, so I may have to give this recipe I whirl this weekend!
I was given some whole rye seeds at the fair, and I was wondering how to use them in bread. Do I have to soak them before I add them? I may grind some of them up as flour or just use the rye flour I have, adding some of the seeds. How much should I use? Thanks in advance. Your book has been very useful.
Tammy: I haven’t used rye “berries,” never have been able to find them. I’ve used wheat berries, and they appear in our second book. I didn’t soak them, just don’t use the dough for 24 hours after mixing, to allow water to absorb into them. And start with a little extra water, about a quarter-cup per four-loaf batch. It will look too loose at first and then firm up. I’ve used up to about a cup of wheat berries in a full batch (again, four one-pound loaves). Let me know how it turns out, and look for our Vollkornbrot recipe in the 2nd book (publisher will have a fit if I post that recipe now). Jeff
Thank you. The berries came as a sample from a whiskey distillery, who couldn’t give samples of their actual product at the fair, so gave samples of rye berries instead. I asked for some, to use in bread, and they just said to send them an email on how well it worked!
What a clever recipe! These would be great on an hors d’oeuvre buffet. Prosciutto would be a nice substitute for the pepperoni for more sophisticated palates.
Jeff & Zoe:
I saw the discussion about the Kindle on another thread and wanted to let you know that it was through browsing Amazon on my Kindle that I first found your book. WOW – am I glad I did (so are my family and friends!). Alot of people talk about “the great homemade bread that Mom and Grandma made” – but honestely, the homemade bread in my family was only the soft-crusted white variety that was great when it first came out of the oven – but never had a crust or crumb that stayed appealing after about an hour (think – “bread-machine loaves”). How great it’s been to actually be able to create loaves that are as good and even better than the tasty, crusty bread I’ve gone to resaurants to find before! I’ve baked the boule, several pizzas, brioche, and am working my way through the book. A note on the Kindle – although it’s how I found your book (which was good for you and good for me!), I found I got frustrated trying to flip back and forth when a recipe refers to another page (the Kindle doesn’t keep track of traditional page numbers). My solution – I bought the hardback version of your book. I like the color pictures and the ability to flip around fast and easy. I also am planning on giving your book as Christmas presents to my mother-in-law and a friend (along with a Cooking Stone and Peel – to get them on their way!). Thanks again for the book and the great additional posts on this site.
Thanks Jennifer— yeah, Kindle isn’t perfect for everyone. We’ll see what the next generation of these look like. Thanks so much for your comments, glad the book is working well for you. Jeff
I just whipped up a batch of the chocolate bread dough. It looks too stiff. Here’s a photo. It holds this shape a pretty long time. Should I add more water? Thanks!
Bob: We’ve baked this log both ways, the other day as a log for our Amazon video shoot and it worked great. So yes, either way.
Chocolate too dry? Looks pretty good to me. Bake it off and see what you think, let me know how it comes out. Jeff
BTW, would this pizza log work just as well if you baked the log and then cut it when cool?
Those are so cute I think anyone would appreciate them! My youngest just turned 20 and I’m quite sure he’d enjoy those. 🙂 I’m loaning him my copy of ABin5. Why oh why didn’t I think to get him his own for his b’day? Definitely for Christmas!!
Just an update… this has been adopted by our football team as the only team snack after football games (kids choice not parents). I mixed in a little whole wheat flour and they did not even notice. Thank for the great recipe and ideas. Now to teach the kids how to make this!
Hi Pam,
That is absolutely fantastic! 🙂
Zoë
I made these today. Tasted good, but I made a few mistakes.
I rolled the dough too thinly, then added toppings that were too wet: olive oil, caramelized onions and garlic, mozzarella, prosciutto. Then I added baby spinach and arugula.
The filling was too full for the dough to wrap around and holes developed in it, with the filling falling out.
It tasted good, but did not look like the pictures. Next time, thicker dough and not so much filling. A good first attempt.
Hi Martin,
Next time you should bake that as a log and let it cool slightly before you slice it, instead of baking as spirals. It sounds so delicious, definitely worth baking again!
Thanks, Zoë
I have been rolling up the pizza but w/o sauce and baking it then throwing it in the picnic basket all summer. slice it up at lunch time and the kids are happily fed.
Hi Teresa,
Yes, that is a wonderful alternative and quick!
Thanks, Zoë
After baking these this weekend my daughter thinks I’m the greatest mom ever. Who knew this is all it takes?
Two questions: We baked the spirals without pepperoni – just sauce and cheese – and most of the cheese ran onto the parchment. They still taste very good, but how did you keep yours from running?
Also, I got distracted by my daughter’s enthusiasm while cutting the log and we ended up cutting and baking off the entire roll. I only meant to do about half and refrigerate the rest (which, I assume, may have helped with the running problem). How long do you think the baked spirals will lay in the fridge? She’s only eating two at a time so we have more than a week’s worth.
Hi Rocky-cat,
It may be the kind of cheese, some will be softer than others. I’d try using a bit less next time and see if that helps?
Maybe you should freeze the leftovers and then reheat them when she is ready for a snack. That will help them to stay fresher longer.
So glad she loved them! Zoë
I like to weigh my ingriedients. How much does a cup of your scoop and scrape flour weigh?
Hi Linda,
With our method 1 cup = 5 ounces. The unbleached all-purpose flour in the Master recipe will = 2 pounds.
Hope that helps, Zoë
You only make 16?? My family numbers only one more than yours and I can’t see them stopping at four a piece. 🙂 My sister – who isn’t quite 20 – has been repeating on and off all day, “yummy . . . those look SO good. Can we have them for supper, um, tomorrow?” (Since supper for tonight is already on.)
I remember my mum telling me about the bread on a stick last year and now I am going to have to try both.
Thanks much!
CJ
Hi CJC,
So glad you will try these and make your sister happy! 🙂
Thanks, Zoë
I finallybaked the chocolate bread. It broke apart in my hands as I tried to cloak it. it didn’ stretch like the master recipe did. Once I got it shapedit came out fine. It needed an hour to bake. Tastes like cocoa powder and was great with a berry jelly.
Hi Bob,
This is one of the breads that had some typos and ended up on the error page, I’m not sure if you saw that before you made it. I’m sorry if it was troublesome, glad it tasted good with the berry jelly!
Error page: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?page_id=73
Thanks, Zoë
YES! Our first home game (Go Illini!) is Saturday, and while we are not hosting, I still have to bring a little something, and these will be perfect! I think I’ll make some marinara from all the tomatoes still in the garden for dipping (you know, just like not-to-be-named chain restaurants do) What a fabulous idea!
Wow Peggasus,
Those will be amazing! Have fun!
Zoë
What a great idea. I can’t wait to try this.
This is adorable! And my kids love pizza. Can’t wait to try it!
Mine didn’t look as pretty, but it sure was yummy! Thanks
Jessica
what a clever idea! love it – bet they make a fun app at a party!
oh yum! totally making that this week.
I’m only about a month into my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day adventure and your book is really changing my life. Thanks!
I’ve made these pizzas on sticks a few times now and today I happened upon the simple variation that my two sons like best–just sauce and cheese using brioche dough. How simple! The brioche dough makes for a soft, but satisfying crust that is very easy for my young boys (ages 4 and not quite 2) to bite through without accidentally pulling the whole thing off of the stick. They are delicious!
Thanks again!
Susan: Brioche is super versatile– see https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=357 for more. Jeff
General Bread Question/Problem
I carefully follow your recipes, but the bread always comes out flat. You recommended more flour…I did so and put it to “rise” and when I returned, it had flattened out again!! I would love to create a nice, round high loaf like I see in your bread book…What can I do? Put some sort of a band around the bread?
Hi Suzanne,
First thing to rule out is that you are not baking at high altitude? If so, check out this post: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=144
The next thing that comes to mind is the type of flour you are baking with and how you are measuring the flour? People who have tried our breads with bleached all-purpose flour have complained of this happening. It must be unbleached and measured in a scoop and sweep method (not spooned into the measuring cup. Here are some videos of us making the bread that may be useful to see what the dough is supposed to look like: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?page_id=63
let me know if either of these things sound like the issue? If not, we will think of something else!
Thanks, Zoë
You can also keep the ingredients from spilling out by letting the pizza log rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it. The rest period allows the toppings to adhere to the dough better.
Thank you RoadPizza,
Great tip, we’ll give it a try!
Zoë
I’m doing a children’s Valentine dinner and dance and these would be perfect. Bookmarked although the idea is ingrained in my memorie! 🙂
just wanted to leave a note…i made these for my annual Halloween party a couple of weeks ago, and they went like hotcakes. thanks so much for the post – i’ve been directing people here, rather than just giving out the recipe, so you get the credit. 🙂