Stuffed Pocket Pizzas
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dough with warm water, olive oil swapped for vegetable oil, honey cut by 1/3, flour reduced by 20%. Added smoked paprika for sauce twist. Replaced chorizo with spicy Italian sausage; swapped mozzarella for smoked provolone. Dough proofed slightly shorter. Sauce simmered 5 more minutes for thickness. Filling softened gently. Pockets sealed with milk then egg wash for a crispier crust. Baked till golden with bubbling cheese. Cool 15. Good frozen, reheat by oven heat-up. Total 1h10. Sixteen pockets, great for snacks or meal sets.
Prep:
50 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
Servings:
16 servings
#Italian-inspired
#handheld pizza
#snack recipe
#baking tips
#meal prep
Dough slightly sweet but balanced. Chorizo out, spicy sausage in—less oily fat, more punch. Smoked paprika in sauce cuts tomato acidity, layers flavor deeper. Mozzarella swapped with smoky provolone for richer melt and aroma. Learned hard dough kills shape; shorter rise keeps it springier, better folding. Egg wash seals edges better than milk alone, gives shine and crisp. Sauce simmers a bit longer, gets sticky, coats filling richer without watering down dough. Mushrooms and peppers softened till just tender; bite texture crucial, not mushy mess. Pockets sized to fit snack bowls or dinner plates. Baked till golden, smelling that warm tomato-spice-cheese combo. Cool to firm filling before biting, or lava-hot gooey mess. Freezes well. Reheat in oven, not microwave. Tried everything.
Ingredients
Dough
- 260 ml (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) warm water
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 10 ml (2 tsp) honey
- 540 ml (2 ¼ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 10 ml (2 tsp) instant yeast
- 2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt
Sauce
- 200 ml (¾ cup) diced spicy Italian sausage
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) tomato paste
- 10 ml (2 tsp) light brown sugar
- 5 ml (1 tsp) red wine vinegar
- 1 398 ml (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 ml smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Filling
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 92 g (⅕ lb) mushrooms small diced
- ½ red bell pepper deseeded and diced
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) smoked provolone cheese shredded
- Milk and 1 beaten egg (for wash)
About the ingredients
Water temp critical – aim for lukewarm, 37°C; too hot yeast kills fast, no rise. Vegetable oil milder than olive oil but works; olive oil’s grassy flavor can clash with spicy sausage. Honey cut down from original to keep subtle sweetness, not overt. Flour reduced for lighter dough; more flour gives tough dry crust. Instant yeast standard, fresh yeast possible but adjust amount and rise time. Salt sunrise flavors, don’t skip. For sauce, tomato paste cooked some minutes helps acid balance. Smoked paprika substitution adds smoky warmth without meatiness of chorizo, which is replaced by spicy sweet sausage. Brown sugar tames tomato tartness. Red bell pepper swapped from green for sweeter taste, better color contrast. Mushrooms diced small to integrate into filling fully. Cheese selection is personal; smoked provolone offers smokey depth but melts less fluidly. Milk and egg wash fill sealing and crust gloss role. Egg optional but better crust and seal.
Method
Dough
- Combine warm water with vegetable oil and honey in a bowl. Stir gently; honey doesn’t dissolve fully. Let rest briefly.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk flour, instant yeast, kosher salt. Add liquid mix. Stir with wooden spoon till shaggy dough forms.
- Turn onto floured surface. Knead 4 minutes till smooth elasticity. If sticking, dust flour lightly; aim for slightly tacky dough not dry. Overflouring makes tough crust.
- Lightly oil bowl, roll dough ball to coat. Cover with damp towel, place in warm spot. Dough doubles in about 50-55 minutes. Punch down gently after rise to keep air pockets intact.
Sauce
- Heat pan on medium-high. Sizzle diced spicy Italian sausage till edges crisp, about 2 minutes. Toss in garlic, cook 30 seconds till fragrant but not burnt.
- Add tomato paste, cook stirring 3 minutes. Sprinkle smoked paprika here. Pour in brown sugar and vinegar, let bubble 2 minutes.
- Dump in diced tomatoes with juice. Raise heat, bring to strong simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Sauce thickens as water evaporates; stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Salt and pepper last. Sauce’s scent shifts from raw tomato sharpness to rich, smoky, slightly sweet aroma. This depth beats plain pizza sauce.
Filling
- Warm oil in skillet over medium. Toss onion, mushrooms, and red pepper. Sweat gently 6-7 minutes till softened, no browning. Season lightly salt and pepper.
- Combine cooked veggies with sauce off heat to cool. Tighten flavors and prevent melting cheese in sauce prematurely.
Assembly & Baking
- Preheat oven to 205°C (400°F). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Divide dough into 16 equal balls. Keep moist under towel while working to avoid surface drying.
- Roll each ball into roughly 14 cm (5½ in) circle. Thickness matters; too thin tears, too thick = dense pockets.
- Place 45 ml (3 tbsp) filling center of dough rounds. Sprinkle 25 ml (1½ tbsp) provolone cheese over filling.
- Brush half border edge with milk, then moisten slightly with beaten egg on the other half; egg wash seals better and adds golden shine.
- Fold pocket over filling, press edges firmly with fingertips. Seal tight to prevent leaking. Use fork edge press lightly patterns and final seal.
- Place each pocket on tray. Brush top with egg wash for crust crispness and gloss.
- Bake 20–25 minutes. Watch crust color - when golden and puffed, cheese ooze or sizzle seen through vents, done.
- Transfer to rack. Cool minimum 15 minutes so filling firms; biting hot pockets can burn mouth and soggy inside textures.
Storage & Reheat
- Freeze cooled pockets in airtight container. For reheating, oven at 190°C (375°F) about 15 minutes. Microwave less recommended - soggy crust.
Notes
- Swapped chorizo for spicy Italian sausage, softer texture, no smoky fat release but plenty of kick.
- Provolone over mozzarella adds nutty, smoky dimension but melts differently. Cheese quantity reduced 20% so filling not sloppy.
- Honey cut back keeps dough less sweet, breadier balance with savory pockets.
- Vegetable oil swap for olive oil eases pronounced flavor, good if you want more filling flavor highlight.
- Rest dough slightly less than an hour to avoid overproof; dough gets slack and harder to shape.
- Egg plus milk wash ensures seal and browning; milk alone too pale and edges dry before cooking.
- Simmer sauce longer till thick is crucial; watery sauce ruins dough crispness.
- Use room temp water around 37°C (98°F), hotter kills yeast, colder slows rise drastically.
- If dough sticky but firm, reinforce with kneading; too dry leads to tough baken pastries.
- Filling can be made a day ahead, flavors marry better. Cheese added on assembly – stops melting into sauce causing greasy pockets.
- Rolling thickness. About 3 mm (⅛ in) gives crisp without cracking when folded.
- Seal edges in cool environment to avoid dough sticking everywhere.
- Press edges right away; dough clings better fresh. Let dry after brush then bake quickly.
- Listen for faint crackle in oven as crust browns, smell turning sweetly roasted.
- Cool pockets on rack prevents soggy bottoms from steam condensation.
- Prefer softer pockets? Cover tightly after baking to trap steam for less crust crunch.
- Pockets don’t keep very long unrefrigerated. Eat next day refrigerated, reheat with foil cover to avoid drying.
Cooking tips
Dough mix should feel tacky not sticky; adjust flour / water accordingly. Knead well till elastic, finger stretch test shows thin blue membrane. Proof spot must be warm but not hot; low rises choke yeast, hot kills it. Sauce development is slow; brown sugar and vinegar balance, paprika boost smoke. Avoid burnt garlic; toss in mid-sizzle only. Filling softening on stove crucial; raw veggies make pockets watery. Assembly: roll dough to thickness felt under fingers, thin enough for crisp but thick to hold filling. Egg wash seals edges well, adds crunch; brush with milk and then egg for max seal. Fold edges carefully; pinch tight edges, fork press for final seal. Baking: watch color, pale dough means undercooked. Golden with puff means done. Use smell and crackle sound as done signals too. Cool fully on racks or bottoms steam and soften. Leftovers best rewarmed oven, microwave soggier. Freeze after cool, thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Water temperature critical here; aim 37C no hotter or yeast dies fast. Lukewarm makes dough rise steady, rush rush kills proof. Longer prove ruins shape; shorter rise keeps dough springy but watch it, less air more chew.
- 💡 Egg wash technique, milk first on one half then beaten egg on other. Milk alone too pale, egg alone seals better but can dry edges. Do milk then egg fast, dough sticks less when folding; crispy shiny crust follows.
- 💡 Filling cooldown prevents molten cheese disaster. Sauce hot meets cheese melts it too soon. Mix veggies off heat, cool sauce slightly before filling dough. Avoid soggy pockets, keep edges dry for sealing.
- 💡 Rolling thickness is tricky—about 3mm is sweet spot. Too thin means tear, too thick weighs down, pockets dense. Feel texture with finger pressing. Lightly flour surface, don’t overflour or crust stiffens.
- 💡 Spicy Italian sausage chosen over chorizo cuts oily fat load. Has bite but less greasy. Smoked paprika adds smoky undertone, more aroma, beats plain sauce. Brown sugar balances acidity, vinegar lifts flavor sharpness.
Common questions
Dough won’t rise fast enough?
Check water temp first. Too cold slows yeast. If warm spot missing, use oven light or near heater. Instant yeast forgiving but needs warmth. Overproof happens if prove too long; dough slack, no shape. Faster rise can mean low yeast activity, maybe expired packet.
Why does crust get tough sometimes?
Too much flour or over-kneading. Dough dry feels stiff. Knead till elastic but stops before tough. Proof under oiled bowl to keep moist. Roll dough to 3 mm thinness not paper. Oven temp set correctly? Low temp flames dryness.
Any good substitutes for smoked provolone?
Smoked gouda or cheddar work but melt differently, flavor changes. Mozzarella too mild and gooey, loses smoky dimension. Mixing cheeses is an option, less smoke more melt. Experiment but watch moisture content; soggy pockets suck.
How to store and reheat?
Freeze fully cooled only. Wrap airtight, plastic and foil combo stops freezer burn. Oven reheat best 190C 15 mins; restores crisp. Microwave shrivels crust, soggy inside. Thaw overnight fridge for even heating, shortens bake time.
