
Marching band season has officially begun.
Every night on my evening walk, I hear the “Boom! Boom! Boom!” explosions of the beating bass drums from the college football field a mile away. A mile away! And have you seen the bright yellow school buses filling up the freeways on Saturdays? They aren’t carrying kids to the local science fair or petting zoo. They’re hauling students to other high schools for all-day Parade and Field Show Competitions, complete with fluffy plums (feathered hats), shiny black Dinkles (shoes), and tuxedo-wearing drum majors.
It’s a whole other world.
At my high school, we showed up for band camp in mid-August, two weeks before classes started. We warmed up on the football field with Dr. Beat (the metronome) blaring in our ears, pacing out 8-to-5’s (8 steps to 5 yards), 16-to-5’s, and occasionally the fancy circle drill. Then we scattered around with our set books shoved in front of our noses, trying to align ourselves in the abstract formations with even spacing for the actual show before the band director yelled, “Again, from the top!”
They reluctantly allowed us a few 5-10 minute water breaks, barely enough time to guzzle down Gatorade and sprint to the bathroom, so we usually ate dinner before or after practice. A few kids attempted to shovel down a slice or two of pizza, but, uhh… Let’s just saw greasy fingers and shiny metallic instruments don’t mix too well!
And that’s where these little beauties come in! I created Pizza “Cinnamon” Rolls, where all of the toppings stay squashed between the layers of soft whole wheat dough. I sprinkled the cheese on top to make it obvious that they weren’t your usual sweet breakfast treat, but you could easily stick it inside with the sauce instead. Although I picked the standard pepperoni, feel free to customize the rolls to fit your tastes: ham and pineapple, sausage and peppers, or lots of veggies!
For whatever toppings fillings you choose, you’ll need to cut them into small pieces. Do not skip this step! I forgot to quarter the pepperoni in my first batch, and it ripped a hole and poked through the dough, allowing the tomato sauce to ooze out. To keep the fillings contained and make the rolls easier to eat, be sure you dice the filling ingredients!
I love how these Pizza “Cinnamon” Rolls turned out—comforting and filling, savory and saucy. And if my guy, who’s pretty picky about his pizza, even devoured 2, then you know they’re going to be good!
A fun new way to eat pizza! Reheat any leftover rolls individually in the microwave for about 15-18 seconds per roll.
- Combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, and let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy. Stir in the whole wheat flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough springs back when you press your index finger into it. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Coat the inside of a clean, dry bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and roll the dough ball around inside until it’s coated with the oil. Cover the top with a clean, dry towel, and place in a warm draft-free area to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Lightly coat a 9”-round pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, punch the dough down. Roll the dough out into an 8” x 12” rectangle, and spread the tomato sauce on top, leaving a 1” border on the two longer sides. Using the equivalent of 4 pieces of pepperoni at a time, place them in a row parallel to the shorter edge every 1½” on the longer edge. You should end up with 8 lines of pepperoni parallel to the shorter edge and perpendicular to the longer edge. Starting with one of the longer edges, roll the dough up into a log, and slice into 8 pieces. (The pepperoni pieces should now be in the center of each little roll.) Place the rolls in the prepared pan, and cover with a clean, dry towel. Place the pan in a warm draft-free place to let the rolls rise for 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take the towel off of the pan, and bake the rolls at 350°F for 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the temperature up to 400°F. Top each roll with 1 tablespoon of cheese, and continue baking at 400°F for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
Note: For 100% whole wheat baked goods, I’ve had the most success with the Gold Medal brand of whole wheat flour. Other whole wheat flours have failed to rise and yielded dense, chewy rolls. If using a different brand, then use all-purpose flour for kneading the dough. This will add a little extra gluten, which will help the rolls rise and be lighter.
LOVE these! I just made some that are pesto flavored. YUM!!!
Thanks Dorothy! Pesto is such a great idea. Basil is one of my favorite flavors — I should give that a try!