Pizza Poppers

By vealam

Ingredients

• Equipment:
• 1 1 1 ball pizza dough (about 1 pound), store-bought or homemade
• 1 1 1 cup tomato sauce, store-bought or homemade
• 2 2 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 pound cooked sausage, crumbled (optional)
• Flour for dusting
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Rolling pin
• Bench scraper (optional)
• Spoon
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Details

Servings 24
Adapted from thekitchn.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Gather the ingredients: Gather the pizza dough and bring it to room temperature, as well as the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and cooked, crumbled sausage (if using).
Combine the ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the pizza sauce, cheese, and sausage. Stir until completely mixed together.
Roll out the dough: Cut the dough into workable pieces, about the size of a tennis ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a long rectangle, until it's about 4 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick.
Add the filling: Down one side of the dough, drop small spoonfuls (roughly 1 teaspoon) of filling ingredients in little mounds. Leave about 1 inch between each mound of filling.
Fold the dough: Fold dough over the top of the toppings and press between the mounds of filling with your fingers.
Cut the dough: Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut each pizza bite apart from the next.
Pinch the seams: Pinch the freshly cut ends together. They'll be sticky and should hold together nicely, making a neat edge. The amount of execution needed for this step will usually depend on your dough and its willingness to play nice.
Brush with olive oil: Transfer the pizza bites to a baking sheet, spaced about 1-inch apart. Lightly brush the top of each pizza bite with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
Bake until golden: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are golden-brown. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Using store-bought pizza dough: While you can certainly use store-bought pizza dough, the dough sold in the "pop tube" does not hold up as well with this dish.
To freeze: Simply cook by the above directions and allow to cool completely. Freeze individually on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, slide into a zip-top bag for storage. To reheat, place on a sheet pan in the oven or toaster oven to reheat at 350°F for 25 minutes (time may vary depending on oven and amount of pizza rolls being reheated).
Refrigeration: If they become a family favorite (like they are at our house), you can also keep a thawed bag in the refrigerator for faster reheating. They should last a solid 7 days in the the chill chest ... although we're betting they all get eaten before then.