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Sourdough Pizza Rolls with cheese and pepperoni in the layers
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Sourdough Pizza Rolls

This recipe makes 12 medium-sized rolls or 18 small rolls, yielding approximately 8-12 servings, depending on appetite. See tips for making appetizer portions.

Equipment

  • Large Bowl or stand mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Dough Scraper
  • Baking sheet or 9x13 glass baking dish
  • Pastry brush
  • Serrated knife

Ingredients

Starter Preparation

  • 15-20 g 1 T. sourdough starter
  • 60 grams 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 60 grams 1/4 cup water

Dough

  • 100 g ¼ and 2 T. whole milk, warmed (see step 2)
  • 40 g 2 T. and 2 t. water
  • 30 g 2 T. and 1 t. sugar
  • 100 g about 2/3 cup active sourdough starter
  • 375 g 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (see tips)*
  • 7 g 1 t. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 45 g 3 T. unsalted butter, softened

Filling

  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese or pizza blend cheese
  • ¼ cup pepperoni slices or other toppings of choice, see ideas in section below
  • Optional: 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Optional: red pepper flakes for extra heat

Optional Toppings*

  • Optional: Garlic Butter Glaze 4 T. unsalted butter, melted, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 T. finely chopped parsley
  • Optional: ¼ to ½ cup pizza sauce
  • Optional: ¼ cup cheese parmesan or mozzarella

Instructions

Step 1: Activate Your Sourdough Starter

  • Feed your sourdough starter and let it sit at room temperature for 6-12 hours until bubbly and doubled in size.

Step 2: Prepare the Milk

  • Scald the milk by heating it to 130-140°F. Transfer 100g of your scalded milk to a bowl or glass carafe and allow it to cool to 90-100°F.

Step 3: Make the Dough

  • In a bowl or stand mixer, combine warm milk, water, sugar, active starter, and flour. Mix until shaggy.
  • Add the egg and mix until incorporated.
  • Knead for 5-8 minutes in a stand mixer (or 8-12 minutes by hand).
  • Gradually add softened butter, kneading until fully absorbed.

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

  • Place dough in a 4-qt cambro or greased bowl, cover, and ferment at room temperature for 4-8 hours until doubled in volume.

Step 5: Shape the Pizza Rolls

  • Grease a baking dish or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Roll dough into an 11x22-inch rectangle.
  • Sprinkle shredded cheese over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along both of the long sides of the dough.
  • Place pepperonis evenly spaced over the cheese—either chopped in small pieces or whole circles every in columns with 2-3 inches of space between each one.
  • Add other toppings—see suggested ingredient notes in section below!
  • Roll the dough tightly from one long end to the other long end into a log and pinch the seam closed.
  • Trim uneven edges and cut 12 even rolls (about 1 ¾-inch wide) for medium-sized rolls or 18 small-sized rolls (about 1-inch wide)
  • Arrange in the baking dish spaced at least 1-inch apart.

Step 6: Proofing

  • Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until puffy.

Step 7: Bake the Pizza Rolls

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Brush with optional garlic butter glaze.
  • Bake for 22-28 minutes until golden brown. (*If your rolls aren’t browning after 24 minutes, switch to convection baking mode for the final minutes.)
  • Cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Notes

For more tips, see the full post of the recipe.
Timing Guide
  • Activating the Starter: 6-12 hours
  • Mixing the Dough: 15-30 minutes
  • Bulk Fermentation: 4-8 hours (room temp)
  • Shaping: 10-20 minutes
  • Proofing: 1-2 hours
  • Baking: 22-28 minutes
  • Cooling: 10-20 minutes
Storage & Reheating Tips
  • Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat: Warm in the oven at 300°F for 5-10 minutes.
  • Freeze: Freeze unbaked rolls and bake straight from frozen (adjust baking time to 28 to 36 minutes*).