My friend loves everything with the word “pizza” in it, so for his birthday party I decided to make some homemade pizza pops. I started by making the secret family pizza dough recipe the day before and put it in the fridge to age overnight (skipping this step will result in a dough that is tight and difficult to stretch). In the morning I portioned the dough into 3 oz balls,  prepared the ingredients and assembled a some-what organized assembly line.

I started by flattening the dough ball with my knuckles. This helps to work any air bubbles out.

Next, I rolled the dough to about a 1/4″ thickness.  Try to keep the dough as even and circular as possible.

The first ingredient to go in is a tiny dollop of pizza sauce. If you use any more, it might not seal correctly. I recommend using a tinned variety because you will need only a little bit.

The next ingredient layer is a small bit of shredded mozzarella, just enough to cover the sauce. Though it is tempting, you don’t want to overfill your pizza pops.

Next, add any ingredients you like. I used pepperoni, bacon and mushroom to make three varieties of pizza pops (pepperoni, pepperoni + bacon, pepperoni + bacon + mushroom). Try to scale the amount of topping you place inside your pizza pop to the number of toppings used so that they are all similarly sized. For example, my pepperoni pizza pops had 3-4 pieces of pepperoni, whereas my pepperoni, bacon and mushroom pizza pops had only one piece.

Next, close the pizza pop by folding the topside over the bottom, being careful not to puncture the dough with any sharp toppings. Seal the edge by firmly pressing it together with your fingertips, being careful not to pierce the dough with your fingernails. If you have a well equipped pastry arsenal, you could use a small pastry roller for this.

To improve the seal, and give your treat the authentic look, crimp the edges using a fork and a gentle rocking motion, again being careful not to pierce the dough.

If you are making more than one variety of pizza pop, indicate the differing interiors by placing a dot of pizza sauce on the top with the tip of your finger.

Place the pizza pops in a baking dish and bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes. Flip after the first 5 minutes and then check regularly. They can also be deep fried: carefully drop two at a time into a pot of hot oil, once the bottoms are browned gently flip (to protect them more than yourself) and cook until golden, brown and delicious. Remove from the oil gingerly, as they can become fragile.

I made ten, all but three were gone before I had time to take a picture.

I dare say, they were more delicious than the real thing.

Try using a whole-wheat pizza dough recipe for added wholesomeness.