Pizza Twists

These are fun little bites. They are perfect for snacks and perfect for kids and adults for any occasion. And, of course, these snacky bites have to be from America, but if you find different I would be happy to know!

Makes about: 16-20 twists

Takes about: 1 hours and 30 minutes

Difficulty: 1 out of 5

Prep:

Make the pizza dough (find the recipe here).

Once the dough is prepped, place parchment paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Ingredients:

1 pizza dough batch

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or more)

1/2 cup pepperoni (or more)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan (or more)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1- 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

- Step 1 - Prep Pizza Dough

Prep pizza dough - which the recipe can be found here.

The dough takes about an hour and a half to prep.

I recommend splitting the dough in half, like the pizza dough recipe recommends at the end and do two batches of twists.

- Step 2 - Roll Out Pizza Dough

The rest of this recipe is based on half the pizza dough recipe - Double the ingredients if using all the dough. But I highly recommend prepping in two batches.

Roll the dough out into a long rectangle; about 12 inches by 24 inches.

- Step 3 - Add a Little Oil to Half the Dough

Spread 1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil on half of the dough - long side of the dough

There should just be enough oil on the dough to make it sticky, not soaked.

- Step 4 - Add Fillings

Spread 1 - 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on the oiled side of the dough. Use more cheese if desired, but not too much because the dough still needs to be twisted.

If using small pepperoni, place the 1/2 cup of pepperoni (or more) throughout the cheese side of the dough.

If using full sized pepperoni, cut the 1/2 cup of pepperoni into quarters and spread it throughout the cheese side of the dough.

- Step 5 - Fold Dough in Half

Fold the dough in half - the clean side of dough over-top the filling half.

- Step 6 - Create Topping

In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan (or more desired) ,1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning,1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional) until well mixed.

- Step 7 - Oil and Top the Dough

Spread 1- 2 tablespoons of olive oil across the top of the folded pizza dough.

Again, don't drowned the dough, but make sure it is completely covered.

Once the dough is completely oiled spread the bowl of toppings over the oil until it is covered.

Some of the topping will fall off the twists and that is okay.

- Step 8 - Cut The Dough

Cut about 1 inch off each side (just the short sides, not the big side) and throw away.

After the dough has been trimmed down, cut the dough into two inch thick pieces.

- Step 9 - Pinch Edges

Separate each piece from each other and pinch the open ends closed to keep the filling as best as possible.

The purpose of pinching the ends closed is to not keep all the filling in, it is instead to make twisting the dough easier.

- Step 10 - Twist Dough

Twist the dough twice creating a nice spiral.

The opening may come apart, but that is okay, this is why the twists can't be over filled though.

The dough is stretchy, which makes twisting them really easy as well.

- Step 11 - Place Twists on Prepped Baking Pan

Place the twists about an inch apart on the prepped baking sheet.

- Step 12 - Bake

Bake the twists for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

- Step 13 - Get Some Marinara Sauce and Enjoy!

Once these lovely beasts are complete, make your second batch or take a break and enjoy these things for a snack or for lunch with some magnificent marinara sauce (or without - no judgment).

These tasty little things originated from "Mom on TimeOut," but as I was making them I decided to change things slightly and make them a bit different. I'm sure "Mom on Timeout's were lovely, I just decided to go with the flow.