Braces-Friendly Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe homemade pizza dough
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2/3 cup pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)
  • ground basil, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 60-65 pepperoni slices
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets2with silicone baking mats (preferred for ease) or parchment paper.
  2. Prepare pizza dough through step 7, including letting the two balls of dough rest for 15 minutes. Roll out both dough balls onto a lightly floured surface or directly on silicone baking mats. I found it easiest to roll directly on the silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Roll each into a large rectangle, about 9 by 12 inches.
  3. To prevent the filling from making your pizza rolls soggy, brush the tops lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil each. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough rectangles to prevent bubbling. See photo above for visual. Spread 1/3 cup pizza sauce on top of each dough rectangle. Sprinkle each lightly with ground basil and garlic powder.
  4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella evenly over sauce. Add up to 2 Tablespoons more shredded cheese per dough rectangle if you’d like. Top the cheese with pepperoni slices. About 30ish slices per dough rectangle. Carefully roll dough rectangles into long tight logs. Place logs onto 1 prepared baking sheet, seam side down, and place baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for at least 25 minutes. Read above for why chilling is so important.
  5. Remove from the refrigerator and cut each log into 12 1-inch slices. Pour cornmeal into a plate or into a bowl. Dip the bottom of each roll into cornmeal and place 12 on each baking sheet, cornmeal side down. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake each batch for 20 minutes or until the sides are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping. Pizza rolls should be enjoyed immediately, though they may be covered tightly and stored for 1 day in the refrigerator.
  7. Make ahead tip: If you plan to make them ahead, make them through step 4 where you chill the logs in the refrigerator (be sure to cover them, though). Then the next day, bake as directed. Pepperoni rolls freeze well, up to 2 months. Bake frozen rolls at 350°F (177°C) for 25 minutes or until heated through. See the pizza crust recipe for how to freeze the pizza dough.

Braces Friendly Recipe.