Yup, this is happening. I really did just take a brioche-like dough, filled it with fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. And then when the rolls were golden brown and the cheese was perfectly oozy, I brushed them with garlic butter. Phwoar. As a recipe developer there are many times when I feel like my mojo has just left me and I need to make peace with it but then something small starts brewing in the back of my mind and that something turns into an idea and then I just roll with it. This recipe is one of those. Taking something as much-loved as a pizza and turning it into a simple bun was an idea that came to me when I wanted to develop a savory version of a cinnamon roll. I played around with filling the brioche-like dough with garlic butter and cheese but eventually settled on this filling. It was only after I had eaten one that I realized that these were pretty much a simple Margarita pizza, just rolled up. You could of course add other ingredients like bacon (!!), chorizo cubes, sautéed mushrooms or onions. Heck, you could even make them in your favorite pizza flavour. Hawaiian pizza rolls, anyone? Yes please! I think these are a great option for lunch boxes, easy lunches or a decadent snack.
How to make pizza rolls
If making your own dough, follow the recipe below. Alternatively use store-bought pizza dough. Place the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. Top with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, grated or shredded mozzarella cheese and basil. Roll the dough into a tight roll. Slice into 5cm (approximately 2 inch) rolls. Place the rolls into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Top with more mozzarella (optional) and place in the oven. Allow to bake until the rolls are golden brown and risen. Melt the butter, lemon juice and garlic together. Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with the garlic butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.
Pizza recipes
