Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
I looooove pizza so, so very much. But instead of a traditional pizza, we’re going to make a savory roll up version loaded with pepperoni. Even though we’re making the sauce and the dough from scratch, you’ll find that this recipe is crazy easy.
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Easy Pizza Sauce
Could you use store bought pizza sauce? Absolutely. My favorite is Rao’s. But this pizza sauce is so dang easy to make in just a few minutes and it is sooo worth it.
Basically, dump everything into your sauce pan, stir it up, and cook it on a medium- low heat for about 15 minutes. Boom. Done. The balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes add a nice bold zest to the sauce.
Pizza Dough
Another super easy recipe here. You can make this in a stand mixer or mix it with a spoon until you have a shaggy dough, then knead by hand. I hate getting my hands sticky if I can avoid it, so I used my mixer.
The dough will need over an hour to rise. Start making it in the morning and it’ll all come together before lunch time!
Optional Flavor Boosters
Seasoning Salt: In savory applications, I use a homemade salt mix that includes kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. If you have a seasoning salt that you enjoy, and it would work well with pizza, throw that in the dough and your sauce!
Pizza Dough Flavor: I bought some pizza dough flavor from King Arthur Baking because I was curious. It has a similar flavor profile to my seasoning salt, but with cheesy notes. If you don’t already have it, or don’t want to buy it, you can absolutely skip this. It is tasty though.
Assembling the Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Roll your dough out to a rectangle with the long side facing you. Slice the dough into nine strips, roughly 1.5” wide. Spread a thin layer of your sauce on a strip (less than a teaspoon), sprinkle with cheese, and top with a line of pepperoni slices.
Roll the strip up so that it looks like a cinnamon roll and place it in your prepared 9 inch pan. All 9 of the pepperoni pizza rolls should fit in the pan comfortably. They can touch, but they should not crowd each other. Sprinkle with any cheese you haven’t used up yet. Don’t have a 9 inch pan? A 9×13, 7×11, and 8 inch pan should all work fine.
Related Reading: Pumpkin & Manchego Pizza
Enjoy!
Dip your warm pepperoni pizza rolls into the homemade pizza sauce and enjoy the pillowy crust, spicy sauce, gooey cheese, and crisp pepperoni edges. Every single bite is absolutely bursting with flavor. You’re going to want to devour the entire pan in one sitting.
Get crazy with this recipe and make your own pizza inspired roll ups. What flavor pizza rolls would you make? Mushrooms and black olives might be my next batch…
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
Spicy Pizza Sauce
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Pizza Dough
- 8.5 oz all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pizza dough flavor optional
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 5.5 oz water room temperature
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Fillings
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 4 oz pepperoni slices
Instructions
Spicy Pizza Sauce
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and place over med- low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, then place in an air tight container in the fridge until needed. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Pizza Dough
- Combine the flour, salt, pizza dough flavor (if using), and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and olive oil.
- Knead on a low speed for about 7 minutes. Form a smooth ball of dough and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. Cover and let it rise until doubled, about 1- 1 ½ hours.
Assembly
- Once the dough has risen, begin preheating the oven to 375℉. Lightly spray a 9 inch cake pan with cooking oil and set aside.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14 x 11 inches. Slice the rectangle into 9 strips, each about 1 ½ inches wide.
- Brush each strip with a thin coat of pizza sauce, then sprinkle with cheese and layer 4- 5 pepperoni slices along the length. Roll the strip up into a round, similar to a cinnamon roll, and place in the prepared pan. Repeat with all of your strips.
- Cover the pan with a sheet of lightly greased foil. Let the rolls proof for about 20 minutes. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 15- 20 minutes. The crust and cheese should be a light golden brown.
- Serve warm with the prepared pizza sauce on the side for dipping. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge.
Notes
- I used seasoning salt and pizza dough flavor for maximum impact. Read the blog post for flavor options.
- This makes enough sauce for two batches of pizza rolls. I like to freeze part of the sauce for later.
- You could use a 9x13 pan (it just won't fill the space) instead, or possibly an 8 inch cake pan.
- Reduce the red pepper flakes for a mild sauce, or increase for a bigger kick.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
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