Pizza rolls? Texas and pizza rolls?
I know, it sounds odd, but there was a pizza place near where I worked in Houston that I ate at much more frequently than I should probably admit--Double Dave's. I never once ordered pizza, the dish to order was pizza rolls. They had two kinds--pepperoni rolls and veggie rolls. Pizza dough layered with pepperoni or veggies and cheese, then rolled up like an egg roll and baked. You ate them with your choice of tomato sauce or ranch dressing (yes, ranch dressing) to dip.
I'm not alone in my love of DD's pizza rolls. Two of my best friends from college were equally smitten, and a few years after graduation, they moved from Houston to St. Louis. About a year after they moved, I flew up to spend the weekend with them, and I asked if there was anything I could bring. They asked for two things--good flour tortillas, and DD's pepperoni rolls. So, I bought a couple dozen rolls, wrapped them in plastic wrap, froze them, then packed them in my carry-on bag with the tortillas. Guess what we ate for dinner after they picked me up from the airport?
So, the weather has been really cold these last few days, and I'm craving comfort food. That combined with the Texas nostalgia, so I decided to try and recreate the pizza rolls. They didn't come out exactly like Double Dave's, but I think they're still pretty good. I also had some fun with different fillings. I hope you enjoy.
Pepperoni Rolls
This is my attempt to duplicate the rolls at Double Daves. Not exactly what I remember from my days in Houston, but pretty good...
Makes 8 rolls
1 recipe pizza dough (recipe follows)
1 cup marinara sauce (recipe follows)
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup thin sliced pepperoni
Preheat the oven to 500 °F
Using a bench scraper or knife, divide the pizza dough into 8 equal sized pieces.
With a rolling pin, roll out each of the pieces of dough into a round, flat circle about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce onto each of the dough circles and spread into a thin layer. Top with cheese and pepperoni.
Lift the bottom edge of one of the dough circles and roll/fold it up towards the middle. Fold and tuck the two outer edges in, and continue rolling to close up the pizza roll.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until well browned. Serve.
Marinara Sauce
The word marinara comes from the Italian word for sailor. The idea is that this is a sauce that sailors could easily make on a ship at sea using pantry staples. It makes a great pizza sauce, too.
Makes about 6 cups of sauce.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
28 ounce can tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and onions and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the onions and garlic, then add the crushed tomatoes and puree. Mix in the dried herbs. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and pepper.
Pizza Dough
This pizza dough is so easy to make, you'll wonder why you don't make pizza at home more often.
Makes
1 large or 2 or more small pizzas, or 8 pizza rolls
1 teaspoon instant
or rapid rise yeast
3 cups all
purpose or bread flour (about 14 oz), plus more for kneading
2 teaspoons kosher
or coarse sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
Combine
the yeast, flour and salt in the container of a food processor. With the machine running, add 1 cup water and
2 Tbsp olive oil through the feed tube.
Let the machine run for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at
a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the
touch. If the dough looks dry, add
another tablespoon or two or water through the feed tube and process for
another 10 seconds. If the dough is too
sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, and process until it is dry enough
to handle.
Carefully
transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to
form a smooth, round ball. Grease the
inside of a large bowl with a small amount of olive oil. Roll the dough ball in the bowl to coat the
entire surface in oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp
cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm,
draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours. (You can let the dough rise more slowly in
the refrigerator, for up to 6 to 8 hours.)
Veggie Rolls
You really can use whatever vegetables you like, but I do think it's important to cook the vegetables before rolling them up in the dough. The rolls don't bake for very long, so the vegetables won't have time to cook completely. They will also release their moisture as they cook, which will make the pizza roll filling too wet.
Makes 8 rolls
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 recipe pizza dough (recipe above)
8 slices provolone cheese
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and continue to cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir. The mushrooms will act like little sponges and absorb all of the moisture out of the pan. Resist the temptation to add more oil to the pan, just keep stirring until the mushrooms start to release the liquid back into the pan. Continue to cook for about another 5 minutes to dry out the vegetables. Stir in the herbs and season to taste with Kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to a plate to cool.
With a rolling pin, roll out each of the pieces of dough into a round, flat circle about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place a piece of provolone on the dough, then top with a spoonful of the vegetables. Sprinkle some of the goat cheese and basil over the top.
Lift the bottom edge of one of the dough circles and roll/fold it up towards the middle. Fold and tuck the two outer edges in, and continue rolling to close up the pizza roll.
Place the roll, seam side down, onto a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining rolls.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until well browned. Serve.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Rolls
This roll was inspired by a butternut squash tart I had several years ago.
Makes 8 rolls
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 recipe pizza dough (recipe above)
2 cups baby arugula
4 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 °F
Place the butternut squash in a mixing bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, the spread the squash onto a sheet pan. Bake until softened and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with a large pinch of Kosher salt. Stir the onions occasionally and cook until they have softened and caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool.
With a rolling pin, roll out each of the pieces of dough into a round, flat circle about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Arrange a layer of arugula leaves on the dough, then top with a spoonful of the onions and a spoonful of the squash. Top with some of the gruyere cheese.
Lift the bottom edge of one of the dough circles and roll/fold it up towards the middle. Fold and tuck the two outer edges in, and continue rolling to close up the pizza roll.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until well browned. Serve.
