Easy Pepperoni Pizza Bread Recipe: Your Gang Will Love it!
This crowd-pleasing Pepperoni Pizza Bread recipe is easy to make and perfect for dinner, lunch boxes, or snacks.
Thanks to Applegate for sponsoring this post!
Ever had a week of dinner fails? Last week I made mashed cauliflower for the first time. And then avocado pudding. To be honest, neither went over particularly well. Sometimes new things are a hit, sometimes they’re a miss.
So sometimes you need an old thing. A really old thing from your own childhood that you know your kids will gobble up and make them forget all about the fails.
When I was growing up, this Pizza Bread was a go-to recipe for my mom. And it’s a crowd-pleaser around here too. Here’s how to make it.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Bread
This starts with a short-cut: Frozen bread dough. Defrost dough and allow it to rise (follow the package instructions). If your dough is portioned into loaves, divide the loaf into two.
Roll each on a lightly floured surface (or on a silicone mat) into a 10- or 12-inch circle. Mix one beaten egg with 1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan to form a paste and spread half of the mixture on each round of dough.
Top with mozzarella and pepperoni, plus a generous shake of oregano. I use Applegate Uncured Pepperoni, made from sustainably raised pork. It comes in nice big slices, perfect for these loaves. But you can also change up the fillings, depending on what your family likes best.
Roll each circle into a loaf and seal edges tightly so all the yummy insides won’t come bubbling out while baking. Seal the ends as well and tuck them under the loaves. You can bake this seam side up or down. Brush the loaves with olive oil and bake on a lightly greased baking sheet (or a sheet lined with a silicone mat) at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
What to Serve With Pizza Bread
My troops don’t care for veggies on the inside, so I serve it with a green salad–plus a few small dishes of pizza or pasta sauce for dunking (get my recipe for Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce). Pack any leftovers (if there are any!) in lunch boxes. It’s great cold.
Can You Freeze Pizza Bread?
Yes! When my mom and I make this, we double the recipe and freeze two of the loaves. Just bake as usual, let the loaves cool, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, then pop them into a freezer bag (or right into the freezer–just make sure they’re wrapped tightly). On a busy night, just defrost the loaf and reheat on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F until hot and melty inside.
Pizza Bread
This crowd-pleasing Pepperoni Pizza Bread is easy to make and perfect for dinner, lunch boxes, or snacks.
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen bread dough, defrosted + risen
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 package pepperoni
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut defrosted, risen dough in half and roll out each half on a floured surface into a 10-inch or 12-inch circle.
- In a small bowl, combine beaten egg and Parmesan cheese. Spread half of egg mixture on each dough circle, leaving a half-inch border around the edge.
- Spread each circle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cover with pepperoni, and sprinkle with oregano.
- Starting at one end, roll up into a loaf. Seal edges. Seal ends and tuck under loaf.
- Place loaves on greased baking sheet (or a sheet lined with a silicone baking mat), seam side up or down, brush loaves with olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Slice while hot and serve with pizza or pasta sauce for dipping.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 363mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 10g
Sometimes there’s no substitute for nostalgia. Pizza can sometimes get a bad rap, but you’ve got four food groups represented here! My mom used to make this for me and I’ve just added it to my grocery list for the week. Thanks for the nice post and trip down memory lane, Sally! Sara w. Dairy Council of CA
Saved this one on my “Pizza Night” board on Pinterest! Love Applegate’s pepp…
Thanks Katie!
My dad used to make this for us! To my childhood mindset, it was the single most magical thing to come out of our kitchen. I wonder how it would be with whole wheat dough…
I think my kids think it’s magic too! I’ve made it with whole wheat dough–it’s totally fine, just not the taste I remember from childhood. 🙂
Is there a way i can make this gluten free and dairy free?
You could certainly try, with gluten-free bread dough and dairy-free cheese.
Have you made with the sauce in the bread? I see other recipes for pinwheels but no sauce. Does it make the bread soggy?
Hi Heather–I have not tried it with the sauce in the bread. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Try with sauce in it it’s awesome. Just be sure to poke holes in it to let the steam out! I always keep dough in the freezer , mozzarella in the fridge and sauce on the shelf. Great for days when you don’t have anything for supper or if you don’t feel like “cooking”……
So where’s the nutrition count for the pizza bread? If I’m going to make it, I’d like to know what the calories, etc., are going to run.
This is a great, easy recipe and soooo yummy. I’ve never seen one before with the egg/parm mixture smeared on the bread before the fillings. Is the purpose to seal the bread to keep it from getting soggy? Anyway, the first batch I made without letting the bread rise and it was still wonderful. But after I ‘followed the recipe,’ I found it was a lot easier to roll out the dough AFTER it had risen. So if you are in a hurry and have strong arms(!), it will work. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Ann–My mom always made it with the parmesan and egg, so I continued to do that. I think it gives it some extra flavor and richness. Good to know it works without letting the loaves rise too–and is a good workout, LOL!
There is two circles., do I stack them then roll? or just make two roll ups ?
Hi Stephanie–It makes two loaves.