So, about those pizza buns I've been showing off.
Aren't they gorgeous? And SO good... soft, cheesy, and pizza-y. An entire pan will disappear in minutes around here.
I make them with dinner roll dough instead of pizza dough, so they're a touch sweet and incredibly soft.
These pizza buns come together easily. I use a breadmaker to do most of the work. If you don't have a breadmaker, you can use any basic dinner roll recipe. And if you don't feel like making the dough from scratch, frozen dinner rolls from the grocery store would work too. The sauce is a basic pizza sauce recipe, but again, feel free to use your own favourite recipe, or a store bought pizza sauce, or even leftover spaghetti sauce. These buns are easy that way.
I use equal parts mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. Or all mozzarella if I don't have cheddar. Or monterey jack if that's what happens to be in the fridge. Use whatever combination of cheeses you like. So easy.
I bake them in stoneware, as I do most things that I put in the oven. They bake evenly and come out of the pan easily.
I make these pizza buns most often to pack into the kids' lunches, but they're great any time of day. Add a bowl of soup and you have a meal. Or have them for breakfast.
Pizza Buns
I batch of breadmaker dinner rolls
Pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce of
choice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
Breadmaker Dinner
Roll Dough
Add to breadmaker in order
listed:
8 oz warm milk
3 tbsp butter
3 cups flour
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp breadmaker yeast (or 2
tsp active dry yeast)
Set to dough cycle.
When cycle is complete, move dough to lightly floured surface and knead
for one minute. Divide into 16 equal
portions and shape into rolls. Place
into greased baking pan (I use a 9 x 13 stone which gives them plenty of room to rise)
and allow to rise for approx. one hour or until doubled in size. Spoon a tablespoon of pizza sauce or
spaghetti sauce on each roll. Cover
rolls with shredded cheese and bake in 350° oven for 15-20 min or until cheese
has melted and rolls are beginning to brown.
Homemade Pizza
Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
In a medium size saucepan, sauté the
onion in olive oil and butter until transparent. Add minced garlic and sauté gently for
another minute. Add tomato sauce and
tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add
the remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for an hour. Allow to cool and remove bay leaves before
using.
** I love garlic, and sometimes use more than 2 cloves. Use however much, or little, garlic as you like.
** I love garlic, and sometimes use more than 2 cloves. Use however much, or little, garlic as you like.