If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a bit of a sucker for anything pizza related. When you have a son who asks for pizza pretty much every day, you have to come up with different ways to serve said pizza so it doesn’t look and seem like the exact same thing every day. So far I’ve made pepperoni pizza roll ups, pizza loaf, mini calzones, English muffin pizzas, and of course pepperoni rolls. And I can guarantee more are coming – I just haven’t made them yet! These pizza twists are a fun play on pizza because they don’t use any sauce – instead they’re designed, kind of like these garlic breadsticks, to be dipped in your favorite pizza sauce!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Pizza flavors – if you don’t like pizza, you won’t like this recipe. If you do, you’re going to love it!Buttery topping – these are topped with a butter and spices that makes them taste just like your favorite seasoned pizza crust!Customizable – use your favorite homemade pizza dough, store-bought dough, or dough you picked up from your favorite pizza place and they’ll still taste great!Temperature friendly – these taste good warm, at room temperature, or even totally cooled down, making them a great party food!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Pepperoni – make sure you’re using full size pepperoni. I tried making these with the little mini pepperonis and they fell out because they’re small and kind of thick. Regular pepperoni cut into twists better.Pizza sauce – These are best served with your favorite pizza or marinara sauce for dipping. If you keep it refrigerated, I recommend warming it up or bringing it to room temp at least for serving. Pizza dough – any pizza dough will do! I used just store-bought pizza dough from our local grocery store, but these would work well with homemade as well. Just make sure roll it out thin.
Instructions
You’re going to be blown away by how easy these are to make. Seriously, they’re one of the easiest pizza recipes ever, or pizza inspired at least. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Start by rolling the pizza dough into a large rectangle– about ⅛” thick. It needs to be fairly thin for the dough to twist and bake properly. Next, sprinkle the mozzarella and pepperoni evenly over half of the dough. You’ll be folding the other half over so you want to try and make it as even as possible. You’ll also notice in the photo below that I like to give a little breathing room between the pepperonis rather than put them all on top of each other – this helps make the twisting a little easier. Now fold the half of the pizza dough without the toppings over the half with the toppings and press the edges to seal them together. Cut the dough into ½-inch strips with a pizza cutter, pressing down while you cut to make sure you get all the way through the toppings and the dough. Carefully twist the strips and then place them at least 2-inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. They’ll puff up, just like a pizza crust, as you bake them so the space is important. If you have more than can fit on one baking sheet, just make another sheet full. Bake the twists in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they are starting to turn golden brown. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Use a pastry brush to brush the twists evenly with melted butter. Let it dry for just a minute before serving. Serve warm, with your favorite pizza sauce for dipping.
Expert Tips
Switch up the toppings! I like the classic pepperoni and cheese but tons of different toppings will work – olives, sausage, mushrooms, etc. I would stay away from anything that’s going to be too liquidy (e.g., pineapple) but anything else should work. Store baked pizza twists in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Freeze pizza twists by placing in a freezer safe airtight container (like a gallon-size plastic zipper bag) and freezing for up to three months. Reheat in the oven until warm.
More Easy Baked Goods
If you like these pizza twists, you’ll love these other baked recipes!
Buffalo chicken roll ups – buffalo chicken flavors all baked inside a delicious flatbread roll!Soft pretzel bites – a classic favorite! Try them sweet, salty, or even with sesame seeds. Homemade yeast rolls – fluffy, yummy, and super flavorful rolls for any occasion! Homemade crescent rolls – these crescent rolls are way better than the ones you get in a can, plus they’re not hard to make! Honey cornbread – the ultimate side to go with your favorite chili! It’s more like cornbread cake than bread!
