Pizza Pockets or Pizza Rolls?

Call them whatever you'd like. At my house they're pizza rolls. I don't know why we call them that, since they aren't rolled at all, maybe it's because once they're cooked they look like a roll. If you're a fan of pizza, or even cheesy bread sticks, this is a fast and yummy twist on regular pizza. 

It might take a little longer than you would like it to when you make these for the first time, but I've found that once you're more familiar with the recipe and you get a system down, they'll be another thing you and your family will love to throw together.        

After hearing about a recipe similar to this, I decided I would create my own since I couldn't find the recipe I had heard about. The sauce isn't baked inside these little beauties, that makes the rolls perfect for dipping. We've dipped them in our favorite pizza sauce, marinara sauce, and ranch dressing. Next time I might even put Alfredo sauce to the test. 

Roll out your pizza dough into a nice rectangle. I spent extra time making this one look much better than it usually looks when I do this step.

 Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares. Make them whatever size you want and make however many you want. If they are bigger you can fit more toppings, but they may take longer to bake. My husband usually has me load these up with lots of cheese, then I throw a few slices of pepperoni on each. Those are the only ingredients I have done, but why not get creative and throw some more toppings in there? Fold the rolls up and place them on a greased baking sheet.

 One neat trick I learned is that most lids from a Parmesan cheese bottle will fit on a mason jar. This is especially handy when I make pizza, pizza rolls, and bread sticks. This little guy is always in my fridge. He's a mixture of Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 

 During the last few minutes of baking I pull the pan of rolls out and brush them with butter, then sprinkle them with this mixture. Putting the pan back into the oven for another few minutes gives the rolls a nice toastiness on top. 

 Depending on the size and thickness of your rolls, baking time will vary. Sometimes when I make these, the bottoms brown faster than the tops, so keep an eye on that because you don't want these to turn out too crunchy. They are much better when they are still a little bit soft.

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Dough ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon dry yeast

1 Tablespoon oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

   

Topping ingredients:

   shredded cheese

   pepperoni

  additional toppings

  butter (to brush on tops)

  Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, making dough so it is easy to work with but not sticky. Roll dough out into large rectangle on floured surface. Cut into squares. Top each square with shredded cheese, pepperoni, and additional toppings. Fold up and pinch edges shut. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on size and thickness of rolls. Keep an eye on rolls throughout baking to make sure they aren't getting too brown. During last few minutes of baking brush on melted butter and sprinkle with (mixture of) Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Serve with pizza sauce, marinara, or ranch for dipping.