Pizza Monkey Bread

Recipe Adapted from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

A great variation on pizza that's easy and fun to eat.  This is a great recipe for kids to help make.

Sliced pepperoni
1 recipe pizza dough or 1 can refrigerated pizza crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9" square pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Roll pizza dough out on lightly floured surface.  Roll into 14x12 inch rectangle.  Top with shredded cheese, then pepperoni.  Lightly drizzle spaghetti sauce over pepperoni.

Starting at one long side, roll up dough and toppings.  Cut into 16 pinwheels.  Place pinwheels, cut side down, into prepared pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.








Tips and Hints
*I really hate canned pizza dough, so I always make homemade.  My favorite is my whole wheat crust.
*The original recipe called for Italian sausage.  You can definitely substitute any typical pizza ingredients.  I wouldn't try to stuff too much in, though.  The more full, the harder to put everything in the pan!
*If desired, sprinkle the tops of the pinwheels with Parmesan cheese before baking.
*We did one pan of pepperoni and one pan of just cheese to make everyone happy.
*There are lots of kid jobs in this recipe.  Emily grated the cheese, helped roll the dough, spread all the ingredients, and put all the pinwheels in the pan.  And of course, she was happy to help eat it up!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Recipe Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

This is my favorite pizza dough.  It makes a great, soft crust for homemade pizza, calzones, or pizza rolls.  Whole wheat flour and olive oil make it a little healthier than other crusts.


2 1/4-2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm (120-130 degrees) water
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Combine 1 cup of flour and yeast in mixing bowl.  Add water and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.  Add olive oil and Italian seasoning and mix until blended.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing for 30 seconds-1 minute after each addition, until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixer.

Transfer dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll into desired shape and fill as desired.


Tips and Hints
*With any bread dough, a stand mixer is helpful.  If you are using a hand mixer, mix in as much flour as you can, then knead in additional flour until dough is no longer sticky.
*You can mix half wheat and half white flour if the dough is too "wheaty" for your taste.  I use white wheat, which has a lighter flavor.
*Make sure your water is not too cold or too hot--use a thermometer.  Too cold and it won't activate the yeast.  Too hot and it will kill the yeast.  Either way, you won't get much rise in the dough.
*After dough rests, sprinkle it lightly with flour and knead a few times before rolling out.  This makes it easier to work as you roll it into your desired shape.