Confession: I have never made real pizza crust before
You know that whole legit pizza making process of activating the yeast, kneading the dough, allowing the dough to rise, waiting around anxiously watching the dough get huge, getting out that rolling pin you’ve never used before, rolling the dough into a crust shape…I think you get the point.
The actual point I would like to make is: I LOVE making homemade crusts. At first the whole idea seemed overwhelming and time consuming. Waiting two hours or so for dough to rise didn’t sound so pleasant, but there’s a million things you can do in those two hours. In fact, I didn’t even realize how much time had passed once the dough had fully risen. Another side note: seeing that dough go from baby status to hulk status gave me way too much excitement.
There’s a whole different feeling that goes along with making homemade pizza crust; the satisfaction at the end is so much more rewarding because the fact that you made that cheesy, bubbly, mouth watering italian meal all from scratch is pretty flippin awesome. You know when you’re feeling like a beast after bodypump class? Yeah, that kind of awesome. Except probably better.
Making the dough isn’t difficult either. Especially if you have a fancy kitchen aid bread maker. Which I don’t. And it still wasn’t rocket science. Kneading the dough is quite the arm workout though. Which I see as a benefit. You get to put in hard work, build up some arm muscle then devour a doughy, carby, cheesy pizza roll. I made the dough with whole wheat flour to kick up the nutritional value. Taste wise, I personally love whole wheat crust. It can be done crispy crust, thick crust or a combo of both. I like the combo. This came out doughy on the inside with crispy edges. Exactly how pizza life should be. At least in my opinion…
Plus I added another twist by making these into pizza rolls. Because how cute is that? And how fun is that to serve at your next Football watching party? (aka the superbowl duh) This would work as a great appetizer alongside some marinara sauce for dipping.
Rolling them into the cinnamon roll shape does require a little more time but it’s well worth it and not to mention fun.
As far as cheese and toppings go, this recipe is very versatile. You can sub in regular mozzarella, goat cheese, jack cheese or whatever floats your boat. I decided to go with this full fat burrata cheese because I a) had never tried it before and b) it’s super creamy. It basically resembles mozzarella cheese except with an added creaminess bonus.
You now have a perfect excuse to turn your superbowl party into a pizza party. Or just have a pizza party every weekend because the pizza life is a good life my friends.
Whole Wheat Burrata Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1–2 Tbsp Olive oil
- sea salt
Filling
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp chipotle
- 4 oz burrata cheese
- Freshly chopped basil (handful)
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add in flour and salt . Mix together then place onto a floured surface and knead dough for about 10 minutes. Place dough into a bowl brushed with olive oil, and let set for about 1 hour, covered with a damp towel.
- Once it has risen place dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a thin rectangle, about 12 inches thick and 30 inches long.
- Mix together marinara sauce and chipotle. Spread sauce, garlic, and cheese onto dough. Starting at the wide edge, tightly roll dough into a log shape. Use a sharp know to cut the dough in to 2 inch thick pieces. Place into a greased baking dish 2 inches apart or into greased muffin tins. Cover with foil and let it rise again for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes until brown on the top. Sprinkle with extra parmesan, basil or crushed red pepper. (all optional)