I think we’re all looking for any new, creative dinner ideas we can get our hands on these days. But instead of something completely new and different, how about reinventing a recipe you already know your family loves?
Homemade whole-wheat pizza is something we’ve had hundreds of times, but my girls were both super happy when I told them I was turning our normal pizza recipe into pizza rolls. It’s amazing how much a small change-up can be exciting. Sometimes it’s just the little things, right?
Now, I put in some of my personal favorite pizza toppings into this recipe below, but really you could throw anything into these rolls. Whether you want to go classic with pepperoni or add even more veggies, just about anything will work here.
Also, we’re clearly not in the era of sending kids off to school right now, but I bet these would freeze nicely and be a welcoming addition to the lunch box (whenever that time comes again)! Give them a try and let me know what you think. :)
Whole-Wheat Pizza Rolls
Change up your normal pizza with these Homemade Whole-Wheat Pizza Rolls. They work great leftover and freeze well.
Ingredients
For the Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup water, warm (between 105 and 110 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour, I use white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Rolls
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, + extra for greasing the bowl
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into small dice
- 4 ounces mushrooms, (any type), sliced
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 2 cups pizza sauce, divided
- 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese, (about 8 ounces)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
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Sprinkle the yeast into 1 cup of warm water. Drizzle in the honey to help it get to work. Once it foams up and doubles in volume (about 5 minutes), pour in the olive oil and set aside.
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Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. With the machine running, pour in the yeast mixture through the feed tube until you have a dough ball chasing itself around the machine. If it's too sticky, add a teaspoon or more of flour. If it's too crumbly and dry, add a teaspoon or more of water. You can also bring the dough together kneading it by hand.
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Place the dough in a large zip-top bag or bowl (with plastic wrap over top) that's been greased with a little olive oil. Let it rise on the counter for 1 or 2 hours or in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
For the Rolls
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan and cook while stirring occasionally until the veggies soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan and cook while breaking it up with a spatula until brown (and no longer pink in the middle), about 5 more minutes.
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Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 10 X 14 in size. I folded the dough over a few times and rolled it out again to help form a nice rectangle. Spread a 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle both cheeses on top and then add the cooked toppings.
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Starting on the long end, tightly roll up the dough, and then using a sharp knife, carefully slice it into 1" slices. Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rise for another 30 minutes.
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Bake until golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Warm remaining pizza sauce and serve on the side for dipping. The rolls are also good leftover (after being stored in the fridge or freezer)!
Recipe Notes
I’ve included instructions for my toppings of choice, but you could sub in any of your pizza topping favorites!
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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I love the idea of this recipe (and totally agree how a small change-up can be just what is needed for dinner to feel extra fun!). I gave the recipe 3 stars because I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the taste of the dough (I used whole grain spelt, and do at least appreciate the healthier aspect of having whole grain!). Next time I would maybe add a little less salt and a bit more honey (a slightly sweeter dough might compliment the sausage well). I’m curious if you have any tips for rolling the dough well? I had a lot of trouble getting any sort of tight roll, and the final out come was not even close to picture worthy. Appreciate any tips!
SOOOO GOOD. Tamale pie out of the meal planner for dinner tonight and I made these at the same time for lunches and grab’n’go. My 12 yr old is bottomless at the moment and this has to be better than pizza pops or endless bowls of cereal. Easy to make, smelled so good that my son had one immediately after dinner. I hadn’t even tried one yet because dinner was so good. Looking forward to trying variations. Used a basil garlic pizza sauce we found that will be a staple in our house in the future. Will keep an eye out for more of these!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them! – Nicole
These sounds great, I can’t wait to try it! I’m a little confused, though, about the sauce. The recipe calls for 2 cups, divided, but I only see 1/2 cup used on the dough. Should the other
1 1/2 cups be used elsewhere, or stored for later?
Hi Sandi, the directions say to warm the remaining sauce and serve on the side for dipping. – Nicole
Fantastic dish and great recipe! We’ve made it several times already and it’s ideal with evening movie watching. Thank you!
Love this! This will be a hit with the kids. They’ll love to help make it too. Thank you!
Homemade pizza rolls are one of our favorites too. I usually keep them in the freezer for use in school lunches. I might have to make some just because, since we are not in school. Over quarantine, I also mastered deep dish (with laminated crust) and cheesy bread sticks and even made our favorite nacho cheese sauce for dipping. I love being able to make healthier versions of family favorites so my kids don’t feel deprived.