Pizza Wheels
What do you get when you make pizza and roll it up like cinnamon rolls? Pizza wheels! The concept is simple. Roll out your pizza dough into a rectangle. Spread pizza sauce across the surface. Top with cheese and your choice of toppings. Roll up the dough, and then slice it into little savory spirals. The end result is a crunchy capped pizza wheel that’s the perfect quick and kid-friendly dinner.
Food is a feeling. My closest friend, who pretty much sees straight into my soul, told me that recently. I was trying to explain what it means to me to feed people, but it starts with a complicated story that I never figured out how to tell. Like always, she knew what I was saying before I could find the right words.
Food is a feeling. It’s why, when our entire world was turned upside down in March, I grabbed onto the thing that’s kept me steady since I was child – feeding the people I love. I’ve been doing it, one way or another, for almost my entire life. My story began out of necessity. It started with muffin mix, the kind with canned blueberries that stained my fingers and everything they touched, as a nine year old on a weekend morning. Taco kits were my go-to in middle school. In high school, I usually made chicken tenderloins nestled in a casserole dish with bags of flavored rice. I made pots of taco soup and boxed Funfetti cakes for my friends in college. Eventually, I was baking from scratch – everything from cookies to baby shower cakes and even a wedding cake for friends.
I started cooking because I had to. I kept cooking because I wanted to.
Food is a feeling. It’s my favorite way to take care of people. I said the same thing this time last year when I wrote about my favorite double chocolate muffins, and it’s never been more clear to me. Full belly, full heart. That’s what I hope I give when I make food for someone. Not every meal at my house is some magical moment where it feels like I’m nourishing my kids’ hearts, but over time? Yeah, I am. Baking for candidates or surprising friends with cookies on their doorstep? It’s the best way I know how to say, well, all the things that are easier said with food than words.
Food is a feeling. So when my daughter came home from school on a Thursday in March and never went back, I did everything in my power to be unshakable. Pizza Fridays were a fun tradition we began a couple years ago, but suddenly they were the most reassuring thing during this season of uncertainty. I’ve got two and half years worth of Pizza Fridays in a highlight on my Instagram. There’s one from early March, when nearly everything felt out of my control, and Pizza Friday was one thing I could give myself and the kids to hang onto. These pizza wheels have made regular appearances on our Pizza Fridays for years, and my kids ask for them as often as they ask for this white chicken and herb pizza.
Food is a feeling, and I hope the feeling that my kids get when we cook and eat together is “I am loved. I am safe.” I hope it feels like a hug when I bake for my friends. And, if you make these pizza wheels, I hope you feel the same joy my family feels when we make them.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 12 rolls
1 pound pizza dough
Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Olive oil, for brushing
1 cup marinara sauce, divided
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup roughly chopped basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
About 12 slices large pepperoni
Kosher salt
You can use anything you want to fill these pizza wheels, just take care not to overfill them so they will be easy to roll up.
My favorite pizza sauce isn’t on the site, but it’s super easy to make. Heat a bit of olive oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and one can of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes.
- 1
Heat the oven to 400ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Lightly sprinkle with cornmeal.
- 2
Sprinkle more cornmeal on a large sheet of parchment or cutting board. Roll the pizza dough into a 9×12 inch rectangle, with the long side closest to you. Brush with olive oil. Spread about ⅓ cup of marinara over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Reserve the remaining marinara sauce for serving with the pizza wheels.
- 3
Sprinkle all of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan over the sauce, then sprinkle on the basil and red pepper flakes, if using. Lay the pepperoni across the dough. Beginning at the end closest to you, carefully roll up the dough just as you would for cinnamon rolls, pushing the fillings back in if they slide out. Once rolled, pinch the seam closed and push the ends toward the center if they’ve become tapered.
- 4
If your marinara was warm when you spread it on, I recommend refrigerating the rolled dough for about 10-15 minutes before cutting. That will help the wheels keep their shape.
Using a very sharp knife, slice the roll into 1-inch rounds. Some sauce may leak out a bit, and that’s okay. Carefully transfer each wheel to the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining rounds. Sprinkle each round a little salt, then top each with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- 5
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted and is beginning to brown. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, and serve with the reserved marinara.
I loved this recipe so much . It’s really awesome