Pizza Wheels (Pizza Party Buns)

By Foodiewife

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, and it's a winner! I love baking homemade cinnamon rolls, and I enjoy making my own pizza dough. Why had I never thought of making pizza rolls that are sliced and baked for hand-held pizza goodness, before??! These aren't difficult to make, and they are terrific for a party or just a hand-held snack. My son said that these tasted even better-- and they are adaptable to add any of your favorite fillings.
NOTE: The only additions I made to this recipe was the garlic butter and adding shredded Parmesan cheese, before baking. I'm glad that I did!

Ingredients

• DOUGH:
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups (14 3/4-ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup of your favorite pizza sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, Cabot preferred; or the pizza cheese of your choice
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup) pepperoni, chopped or shredded
• Garlic butter* (optional)
• Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

*For the Garlic butter:
Melt 1/2 stick butter and add 2 garlic cloves together on low heat. Allow the garlic flavor to infuse. Any leftovers can be used to slather sliced French bread for a delicious garlic bread.

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and mix and knead the mixture — by hand, using a stand mixer, or in a bread machine — to make a smooth, soft dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

Roll the dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle.

Spread evenly with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

Starting with a long end, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 to 18 pieces, depending on how large you want the buns to be.

Space the rounds on two parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets. If you've cut 12 rounds, flatten them gently to about 1-inch tall.

TIP: I use a string of unflavored dental floss that I slip under the log, wrap around and then close together. These make great slices without flattening the log!

Cover the pan(s), and allow the buns to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until they're nicely puffed.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Optional: Before baking, brush the melted garlic butter over each bun and (also optional) add a little shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the buns for about 25 to 30 minutes, until they're a light golden brown.

Remove the buns from the oven, and serve warm, with additional pizza sauce on the side if desired.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Reheat for about 10 minutes, covered, in a 350°F oven; or very briefly in a microwave.