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!
Greetings Zoe and Jeff and everyone “listening”. I would like to share my recent experience with the European Peasant bread. I think I know what I goofed on but maybe you could assess the problem. The bread tasted great! 1) I forgot to score the top of the bread…I had pots on the stove that needed tending…with no score there was no room for the steam to excape? 2) I used a Corelle pie dish for the bread…it worked before in a Pyrex pie dish…When I took out the bread the bottom was very moist; as it was cooling a puddle of water formed under the cooling rack. I’ve been cooking and baking for 40 years and have never had that happen! The bread remained soft over the next two days, which was OK as it tasted good. But what happened here?
Another question: I have a clay bread pan (same material as the pizza stone) that I would like to use for some of the loaf recipes…what do you think? I don’t own a glass or metal or non-stick one.
Observation: I don’t have a pizza peel yet, I tried the cookie sheet and that was unweildy, so I rest my loaves on large paper plates w/cornmeal on the bottom. Sometimes the dough sticks as I’m sliding it to the pizza stone so I’ve been able to gently lift the dough onto the stone with my hands. Seems to work just fine…I’m careful not to burn my fingers.
I love this website and have taken the time to view your videos…good info and a great way to know that what I am reading is how it should be done! Great support.
Hi Rosalie,
I think that the wet dough when baked on a non porous surface, such as the glass or Corelle will result in a soggy crust. What you can do it bake it in that dish and then remove it and finish baking it for the last 10 minutes right on the oven rack, with nothing under it. This will allow the bottom crust to get a bit crisper and I think your issue will be resolved.
I’ve never used the clay bread pans, but I’m sure it will be lovely. my only concern is that the wet dough may want to stick to it. Be sure to grease it very well and you may even consider putting a piece of parchment on the bottom.
When you are forming your loaves, you may want to let them rest on a sheet of parchment paper instead of the paper plate. You can just slip the bread and the parchment right into the oven to bake on your dish. Then remove the paper to let it finish baking on the oven rack as I mentioned above.
Thank you and enjoy the bread! Zoë
Hi
“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)”
Where do i find those recipes?
If you found the “Master” on page 25, you must have our first book, which came out in 2007 (https://amzn.to/NKKma7 on Amazon), because that’s the book that has the Master on that page. If so, then those other page numbers are exactly right, you’ll find the listed recipes on those pages. If you have the revision of that book (the New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, from 2013, the pages will all be different– this is an old post! Or am I misunderstanding your question?
Thanks Zoe, I can’t wait to try these tips.
thought I would try this. bought supermarket pizzzza dough . results very disppoining too flourly outside and fatty iniside.
Hi Jen,
Did you try it with our dough yet? I hope you will have a much better experience!
Thanks, Zoë
So simple and so fabulous!
Can’t wait to make these.
so, no rest/rise between cutting slices and baking? I usually do when making cinnamon rolls with the brioche dough…
it’s grabahunk-roll-fill-roll-slice-bake for pizza rolls?
Hi Sue,
You don’t absolutely have to let them rest, but I usually let them sit for about 15-20 minutes before baking. It makes the dough lighter in texture. I have also done it with no rest and they are still tasty, but the dough is much chewier.
I added the rest step in the directions on the post! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Zoë
I am making my menu for Christmas day and want to make some rolls. Tradition is a fairly soft roll so I’m wondering which dough would work best. I’m thinking about the WW crescent rolls without the cinnamon. I’d also like to prepare as much as possible ahead of time. Will the refrigerator rise work for rolls? If so, what kind of timing would you suggest? Thanks so much for your timely reply to posts! Happy holidays!
Andree: Yes, refrigerator rise trick works for rolls. Some ideas for rolls: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=142, or https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=536, or https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=392, or https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=443. But the WW crescent rolls will work beatifully too (assuming you’re looking for a sweetened roll).
Have a great Christmas…
The Pizza Pops look delightful, but perhaps just as delightful is the fact that Dorie Greenspan included HBin5 in her Books by Friends: 2009 Baking Edition on her website recently! Now that’s high praise and totally deserved! Way to go Zoe and Jeff! Love the company y’all are keeping, so to speak! Congrats!
Wow LaJuana,
I didn’t realize Dorie had done that, how absolutely wonderful. She is one of my baking and writing mentors so that means so much! 🙂
Thanks, Zoë
Yumm!!! I baked these the other day for my son the other day, they did not last long. Today I made them with a non fat refried black bean and olive tapenade filling, half I added mexican blend grated cheese to, with guacamole and salsa for dipping for lunch. Fantastic!!!!
Hi Kathie,
My kids are going to LOVE this! Thank you so much for sharing the idea.
Cheers, Zoë
I just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe online. I heard about your books and was on the library’s waiting list after hearing good words from some blogs. First of all, I am so cursed with bread, it’s become a running joke in our family. Well, I found your site and tried this recipe and it actually rose (my bread never rises)! Then I made these and they were a success! I am so thrilled I said forget the library and ordered HBin5. It’s my Christmas present to myself and my whole family. Thank you so much for creating something that even those who are baking challenged can make!
Hi Kris,
That is wonderful! Bread should not be so intimidating and I’m thrilled that you are baking!
Enjoy and happy holidays! Zoë
I’m totally going to make these! And actually I’m going to let me girls make these! This would be a great snack to bring into the classroom!! Thanks for sharing! – Kerry
Just made the pizza lollipops. They are a hit. Awesome recipe. I used the Master recipe from the 1st book.
Thanks to your great directions these should be a breeze to make. Can’t wait!
These look awesome! My kids will flip! Has anyone tried to freeze them? Either cooked or uncooked?????
Sherry: We freeze a very similar preparation, the sticky rolls unbaked. Those are at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=308. You can freeze pizza-like things after baking as well. The crust really changes in the freezer though, see what you think. Jeff
Thanks Jeff! I will definitely try it both ways. I figure it will be perfect to have in the freezer for the kiddos. I can just grab as many as I need and warm them up!
I wanna make these so bad for my kids, but they can’t get off of the chicken ranch pizza I make with your dough.
https://adoptbellagrace.blogspot.com/2009/12/pizza-pops.html
I’m sorry to say, but it seems that someone is trying to steal from you.
The recipe is rather similar and pictures from yours and theirs next to each other it is just simply eerie (It’s like they took your photo shoot and just copied most of it). I just wanted to tell you.
No need to worry. Credit is given where credit is due.
hi i dont think i can do this with my master recepi coz the dough is very soft,how can i roll it its very sticky.
it worked nice for he bread but not sure it will work for the pizza
Dina: I’m guessing that you ought to just make it a little drier so you can handle– just increase the flour a bit, maybe a quarter-cup.
Meanwhile, bet you can dust with lots of flour so that you’ll be able to roll this out… Jeff
I did this yesterday and i had little problem rolling it and my kids went crazy about it…..what a brilliant idea.
100000 thanks .
Baking some Pizza lollipops in the oven as we speak and they smell absolutely wonderful. I absolutely love this Idea Zoe. This is our trial batch for my sons fifth birthday party. He is really excited about them. I am using the olive oil bread dough recipe with basil pesto and mozzarella cheese.
Hi Tonya,
I hope you enjoyed the pizza lollipops. Happy birthday to your son!
Thanks for the note, Zoë
super idea – I made these and some white basil pizza rolls with grated parm in the pizza dough – fab baby! Best tail gate food ever!
Hi Grace,
Am I the last to know about white basil??? Do tell!
So glad you tried these! Zoe
These remind me a dish called “Pepperollies” that a pizza chain in my home town sells, but only at Christmas time. Now I can have them all year! I made a batch last night and they came out very similar to the real thing. The only changes I made were adding both Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese, and brushing the tops of each roll with garlic butter before baking. Not as healthy, but very very good!
I just made 2 batches of these (without the sticks) for a garden party tomorrow. Since they are for adults I added some crumpled Gorgonzola cheese and some fresh chopped herbs for more intense flavors. They came out beautiful and the entire family loved them. Teenage son says they are “Mad Good”! To be sure they make it to the party I had to lock them in the trunk of my car!!!
Thank you!
Hi Antoinette,
That is fantastic! This is the first time I have heard of someone hiding the bread in the trunk of their car to keep people from snatching it! LOL!
Thanks, Zoë
I LOVE this idea. I’m trying it this weekend!
I was thinking about doing this over an open fire when camping. Do you think you could prepare the log ahead of time, put it in a cooler, cut it into slices when you get to the campsite and cook it on a stick over a wood firepit?
Hi Seth,
I think it is worth a try! Please report back and let us know how it goes.
Thanks, Zoë
I’ll give it a shot. I will probably not be doing it while camping for real until the fall, but I can see how it works in my backyard firepit!
This is a fantastic and very creative recipe. I can imagine the eyes of you boy’s friends in school when the opened their lunch box. 🙂 Not as boring as a sandwich…
I noticed page numbers were mentioned for the dough recipes, I’m just wondering which book they came from??
Hi Katie,
This post was written when we only had the one book! I was referring to the recipes in Artisan Bread in Five, but you could certainly do this with the whole grain recipes from Healthy Bread in Five. If you make them with the healthy doughs, increase the rising time and baking times.
Thanks! Zoë
Will this work with the GF dough and what do we need to do differently from the directions here? (Is that what you were referring to in your answer to the last poster?) If so, how much do we increase rising and baking times?
Polly: It may work– problem may be that GF doughs, even when baked, have less structure and may be prone to break off the stick. Try the mini-pizzas first, see how they feel when well-baked. If they have the structure, try the stick!
I made these for a granddaughter’s birthday party. I ended up making two more batches as the party went on. Needless to say they were a hit ! So later this month her sister will have a birthday and this is what she requested. I have been searching for days to find the recipe idea again. I’m so thrilled to see it today. THANK YOU.
Hi Judy,
Thank you for the lovely note, so glad you tried the recipe and everyone enjoyed them!
Cheers, Zoë
Where do i find the Master recipe book? Can you send me the link. Thanks
Depends on which Master recipes of ours you mean; the three books’ links will pop up if you click on the book images above, or here:
Artisan Bread buy-site at Amazon: https://bit.ly/cNtfJI
Healthy Bread buy-site at Amazon: https://bit.ly/3wYSSN
Pizza and Flatbread buy-site at Amazon: https://amzn.to/eo10NJ
Hi Zoe, What a fantastic idea. Nevermind the under 20’s … I’m more than twice that and I love those pizza “lollipops.” I made them with thin slices of roasted chicken breast, red and yellow peppers with a touch of garlic and a huge handful of herbs and halved cherry tomatoes from the garden and of course cheese. Oh yeah – I used mashed butternut as the base sauce just to be healthy :-). The really under 20’s loved them – and so did all the over 20’s. 6 each were gone in 10 minutes flat!
You capture all my attention with this ingenious and delicious snack…What a creativy…….
A State Fair homage…