Food & Drink
Puff Pastry Pizza: The Ultimate Appetizer
Everyone loves pizza but mixing the dough from scratch can be daunting. Here’s how to cut your prep time in half by making delicious pizza pastry puffs.
April 1, 2022
In our humble opinion, pizza is one of the best foods ever invented. With a fluffy crust, savory toppings, and a classic blend of tomato sauce and cheese, these pastries of Italian origin make for a delectable meal. You can indulge in pizza as a gourmet meal or grab a slice on the go.
If you want to make pizza at home, it’s not the most straightforward food to make. Making pizza dough from scratch can be time-consuming, and all the steps are overwhelming.
Good news: We’ve got a quick, easy cooking hack that provides the crave-worthy pizza flavor without the arduous process of making it. Here’s how to make pizza pastry puffs.
Why should you try pizza pastry puffs?
Homemade pizza is a crowd-pleaser, without a doubt, and pizza pastry puffs make the cut. These puff pastry options are a must-have item for anyone putting together an at-home event.
They’re aesthetically pleasing, simple to assemble, and easy to divide among a crowd. You can cut these pastries into small-enough pieces that they turn into bite-sized pizza appetizers, too.
Plus, you can customize them to be as fancy or simple as you need, tailored to your guests’ tastes. A simple pepperoni pizza works well for a kid’s party, while a light blend of cherry tomatoes, basil, and goat cheese is a delicious option for a wine-tasting event with friends.
A bonus: This puff pastry option works well if you live in a rural area where pizza shops are few and far between, or you want to save money while shopping for a crowd. On average, you’ll spend far less money making these puff pastry pizzas than buying your menu items from a fast food joint.
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Ingredients for pizza puff pastry recipes
*Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 2 puff pizzas
The ingredients you need for easy puff pastry recipes will vary depending on the pizza toppings you want to use. With that in mind, we’ve divided this part into two sections: must-have supplies and optional supplies.
If you want to double your batch of puff pastry pizza, simply double the ingredients.
Ingredients you need
2 sheets of premade, frozen puff pastry or 1 package (you can make your own puff pastry, but it’s unnecessary for this recipe)
1 ½ cups of pizza sauce
1 ½ cups of shredded cheese, preferably pizza mozzarella (you can mix that mozzarella cheese with another cheese, like cheddar or shaved parmesan, to create a sharper flavor)
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1 package of pepperoni
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional toppings
Arugula
Fresh basil
Garlic
Grape or cherry tomatoes halved
Mushrooms, finely sliced
Sliced bell peppers
Sliced black olives
Sliced onions
Sliced pepperoncini
Tools
1 large baking sheet
Bowls to hold chopped toppings
Cheese grater
Chopping board
Frying pan
Kitchen knives
Frank Schrader - pixabay.com
How do you make pizza pastry puffs?
Grab your premade puff pastry. Set it on the counter to thaw for approximately one hour or until soft.
While your puff pastry is thawing, assemble your supplies. Chop your toppings and shred the cheese.
Place a piece of parchment paper over your large baking sheet. Make sure it’s big enough to cover the whole surface.
When your pizza puffs dough is soft, clear off a space on the counter. Open up the sheet of puff pastry dough.
Slice the dough sheet in half down the middle. Place both halves flat on the baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 400–415 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact temperature will depend on how efficient your oven is with its heat distribution.
If you’re including toppings beyond sauce and cheese, it’s time to finish their prep. For mushrooms, we recommend sautéing them in butter with garlic for two minutes and seasoning with salt and pepper. Thinly slice other toppings to your preferences.
Brush a thin layer of olive oil in the middle of each puff pastry sheet, leaving at least a half-inch border around the outsides for your crust.
Spread your pizza sauce over the center of your puffed pastry unless you’re opting for an all-cheese pizza. Avoid using too much sauce, as it can turn the puff pastry crust soggy.
Sprinkle Italian seasoning on both pizzas.
Add fresh mozzarella over the sauce, splitting your total amount between the two pastry sheets. Make sure it covers your entire pizza except for the half-inch border around either pastry to preserve the crusts.
Add your toppings. Feel free to experiment here, but avoid overloading your pizzas — that could make them soggy and harder to cook.
Press the toppings lightly into the cheese to ensure everything stays in place when you put it in the oven.
Once the toppings are in place, baste the pizza crust edges with the remaining oil or egg glaze.
Place both puff pastry recipes in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown and crispy.
Remove the puff pastry pizzas from the oven, and let them cool to room temperature.
While they’re cooling, add additional fresh toppings to customize your pizza recipe. For a veggie pizza, try crumbled goat cheese and fresh basil leaves. Or dress it up with prosciutto and arugula.
Slice the pizzas into multiple bite-sized squares, and enjoy.
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And there you have it: An easy way to make pizza using a puff pastry recipe. If you want a sweet treat after your pizza, you can use puff pastry to create some yummy desserts.
Ready to make your puff pastry pizza but need some ingredients or supplies? Browse Gopuff’s virtual aisles to find everything you need and have it delivered right to your door.
