Pizza Pinwheels

For the dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed for rolling the dough
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup warm water, at 120-130F

For the pepperoni pinwheels:

• 4-8 oz pepperoni slices
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves, finely minced (optional)
• Marinara sauce - for dipping

The amount of cheese and pepperoni you use depends on your personal preference and how thin you roll out the dough.

You'll also need:

• Stand mixer, such as a KitchenAid (or you can knead by hand)
• Rolling pin
• Plastic kitchen wrap
• Baking sheet
• Oil spray (I love this refillable oil sprayer, but this olive oil spray is great if you don't want to bother with refilling oily containers)
• Bowls, measuring cups and spoons - all the usual cooking equipment

How to make the dough for pinwheels

Step 1: Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir to combine and allow to sit for a few minutes so the yeast blooms.

Step 2: Stir in salt and oil.

Step 3: Add flour a little at a time, using the dough hook on the stand mixer, until the dough is no longer sticking to the side of the bowl. If doing this by hand, mix in all the flour and then use your hands to knead the dough for 3 minutes.

Step 4: Transfer the dough out onto a plate or other clean surface, and spray the mixer bowl with oil all over (or brush with oil). Add the dough back to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm part of the house for 3 hours (by a sunny window if it's not drafty, on top of a running dishwasher, or near a stove/oven if it is on).

After 3 hours, your dough should rise and be ready to use.

Instructions for pizza pinwheels

If you're using store-bought dough, follow the instructions on the package for letting it come to room temperature and for rolling the dough. If using homemade dough, just grab it from the bowl after it rose for 3 hours and continue with the steps below.

Step 2: Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a clean surface, using your hands to help stretch and press it into a rectangle shape. Add flour as needed to prevent the dough to sticking to the rolling pin or your rolling surface.

Step 3: Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over the dough, going all the way to the edges.

Step 4: Top with pepperoni slices.

Step 5: Roll the dough length-wise (make a longer thinner roll, not a shorter thicker roll).

Step 6: Slice into 1.5-inch thick wheels and place on a greased baking sheet. Some of the pepperoni might slide out a bit, but that's OK! Gently push it in if you can, but if not, don't worry about it because these pinwheels bake up beautifully either way.

Step 7: Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and dried and fresh basil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pinwheels are golden brown and the dough is fully cooked on the inside.