Your Favorite Pizza Rolls

by Cheesemonger Carolyn

inspired by Ree Drummond’s “Pizza Rolls,” Food Network
sauce recipe adapted from Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
dough recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Take cinnamon rolls, but imagine them savory. Start with a homemade batch of easy, pillowy pizza dough. Then take that pizza dough and spread it with the butteriest, savoriest, best Italian grandma-style tomato sauce. Then top that tomato sauce with piles of melty, herby Kickaas Jack with Fresh Basil and a little grating of salty Aged Parmesan for extra oomph. And THEN add all your favorite pizza toppings. Roll ‘em, bake ‘em, top ‘em with extra sauce, and eat. That’s the recipe. You’re welcome. 

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce:

• 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzanos if you can find them!)

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and halved

• Kosher salt to taste, if needed

For the dough:

• 3/4 cup warm water

• 1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast OR 1 1/4 tsp instant yeast

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• Olive oil (for coating bowl)

For the pizza rolls:

• 1 lb pizza dough

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup pizza sauce, plus more to serve

• 8 oz TCP Kickaas Jack with Fresh Basil, coarsely grated

• 2-4oz TCP Aged Parmesan (or Asiago), finely grated

• Additional toppings such as: chopped pepperoni, cooked sausage crumbles, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, chopped black olives, sliced garlic, etc.

PROCEDURE

To make the sauce:

1. Combine tomatoes, butter, and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat.

2. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until sauce is smooth and thickened, about 45 minutes. Discard the onion. Taste and add salt as needed.

To make the dough:

1. While sauce is simmering, turn your oven on low, about 200-225 F, for five minutes, then turn it off. This will create a nice warm spot to help your dough rise.

2. Pour 3/4 cup warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. If you’re using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the water and let it stand for five minutes, until it foams a little bit. If you’re using instant yeast, sprinkle it over the water and proceed—no need to wait.

3. Add flour and salt, then mix with dough hook at moderate heat until a craggy mass begins to form. Reduce speed to lowest setting, and knead with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

4. Set dough on a clean countertop for a minute and coat the mixing bowl with olive oil. Place dough back in the bowl, flip it a few times so all sides get coated in oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Place in your previously warmed oven and let it hang out there for about 30 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.

While sauce is simmering and dough is rising, prep your toppings: grate cheese, cook and crumble sausage, chop pepperoni or veg, etc. Once all the components are ready…

Assemble the pizza rolls:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. On a large cutting board dusted with flour, roll or press the pizza dough into a large rectangle, about 8 by 12 inches. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with a large pinch of kosher salt.

3. Spread the surface of the dough with about one cup of sauce, then sprinkle with about three-fourths of each cheese. Add your pizza toppings of choice!

4. Working longways, roll the dough towards you into a long, thick spiral, pinching the seam closed. Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully slice into twelve roughly 1-inch pieces, then arrange the rolls face up in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

5. Let rise in a warm spot (on top of the oven is nice), uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until rolls puff up and spread out a bit.

6. Top with leftover basil jack and parmesan. Bake until rolls are puffed and golden and filling is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Drizzle with extra tomato sauce and enjoy!

NOTES

• “But what if I don’t feel like playing pastry chef and would simply like to make a pizza!”

  • Make the dough and sauce as written, then preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

  • I never bother with a rolling pin here, and I don’t own a pizza stone. Instead, I stretch and press the dough into a large uneven rectangle and set it on a rimmed baking sheet sprinkled with lots of cornmeal. Makes an easy, casual, knife-and-fork style pizza with a gently chewy crust.

  • Spread dough with about 1 cup of sauce, leaving about a 1-inch rim as your crust. Sprinkle with the basil jack and about half the parmesan. Add whatever additional toppings you’d like—no need to chop them as finely as you would for the rolls.

  • Bake until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly browned at the edges, 8-12 minutes. Sprinkle with leftover parmesan, cut into squares, and serve!

• If you like, feel free to use a 1-lb store-bought pizza dough for convenience. You can also use a store-bought tomato sauce—check the Italian section of the international aisle for some good options! A 15-oz can will give you enough to fill the rolls with a bit left over; go larger if you anticipate wanting lots of sauce for topping.