there is something about pizza pinwheels that screams back to school season! i haven't been in school for years, but it is still so nostalgic this time of year. these pizza pinwheels are not the same pinwheels of your childhood. they are a fancy pants version filled with sweet sausage, wild mushrooms, kale & grueyere cheese. i used california olive ranch's mild & butter extra virgin olive oil as the base to the pizza rolls instead of traditional pizza sauce (kind of like a white pizza) & served them with a side of marinara for dipping. the mild & buttery olive oil is california olive ranch's mildest extra virgin olive oil. it has a subtle buttery flavour which makes it ideal for baking. i like to drizzle the fresh from the oven pinwheels with a touch of the olive oil before serving too, because i can't get enough of that fresh olive oil flavour. maybe it is the italian in me, but there is no such thing as too much olive oil.
these rolls have so many amazing flavours happening, justin couldn't get enough of them. they are great for an after school (or after work) snack & to pack for lunch. i made the dough from scratch using my favourite pizza dough recipe, but if making dough isn't your thing (or you are strapped for time) a store bought version will work! whenever i don't have time to make dough from scratch, i go to a local bakery to purchase the dough directly from them. bakeries & pizza shops make for the best "store bought" dough, as it is prepared from scratch anyways. enjoy!
ingredients
for the pizza dough
- 1 cup water, warm to touch
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons california olive ranch's mild & buttery olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
for the pinwheels
- 1 batch of pizza dough (see recipe)
- 2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup california olive ranch's mild & buttery olive oil
- 150 grams sweet sausage, casing removed
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh kale, torn into pieces
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
- marinara sauce, to serve
directions
for the pizza dough
- in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment add the water & yeast. let stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- once activated, whisk in the olive oil & salt. turn the mixer to low speed & add the flour 1/2 cup at a time.
- when the dough comes together, turn the mixer to medium speed & knead for 5 minutes.
- shape dough into a ball & transfer to a greased bowl. cover with a towel & let rise for 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
for the pinwheels
- line two baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside.
- heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add the sausage & cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a small bowl. in the same skillet add the garlic & onion, cook until translucent.
- add the mushrooms & sautee until soft, about 5 minutes. stir in the kale & cook until wilted. season with salt, pepper & chili flakes.
- remove from heat & let cool for 15 minutes.
- as the mixture cools, roll out dough on a floured surface as if you were making cinnamon rolls (approximately an 10 x 15 inch rectangle).
- brush with remaining olive oil, salt & pepper. evenly spread the cheese across the surface of the dough, followed by the mushroom filling.
- roll dough carefully into a log & pinch ends to close. cut into 10 even slices & transfer to prepared baking sheets.
- bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. when ready to serve, drizzle with additional olive oil & a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
