Flaky Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels with Garlic-Parmesan Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Puff pastry rolled around a thick, concentrated pizza sauce, shredded low-moisture mozzarella and crisped pepperoni, then chilled, sliced into coins and baked until the layers shatter. Cooking the sauce down to a paste and freezing the log before slicing are what keep these pinwheels crisp instead of soggy — a real handheld snack you can eat standing up, with warm marinara for dunking.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 3 oz sliced pepperoni (about 40 slices)
• 8 oz low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, optional

• 1 package (17.3 oz, 2 sheets) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp water

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add the grated garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes so it darkens slightly and loses its raw edge.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer over medium-low, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes, until the sauce is very thick — a spoon dragged through should leave a clean track that holds. Scrape into a bowl and let cool completely (spread it thin on a plate and it cools in 10 minutes). It should be paste-thick, not pourable; wet sauce is what makes pinwheels soggy.
3. Crisp the pepperoni: lay the slices on a paper-towel-lined plate, cover with another paper towel, and microwave in 30-second bursts for 60 to 90 seconds total, until the slices are shrunken and the towel is stained with fat. Blot well and chop into rough 1/4-inch pieces. This removes the grease that would otherwise pool in the pastry.
4. Unfold one sheet of thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Spread half the cooled sauce over the sheet in a thin, even layer, leaving a bare 3/4-inch border along one long edge.
5. Scatter half the mozzarella, half the parmesan, half the pepperoni, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and half the basil (if using) over the sauce. Press the toppings down firmly with your palms so they adhere.
6. Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll the pastry into a tight log, finishing at the bare border. Brush that border lightly with water and press to seal, then roll the log seam-side down. Repeat steps 4 through 6 with the second sheet and remaining filling.
7. Wrap each log in plastic and freeze 25 to 30 minutes (or refrigerate 1 hour), until firm to the squeeze. Firm dough is the only way to get clean, round slices.
8. Heat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk the egg with the water. Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, trim the ragged ends and cut each log into 10 slices about 1 inch thick.
9. Arrange the pinwheels cut-side up on the sheets, at least 2 inches apart, and press each one down very lightly to a 3/4-inch thickness. Brush the exposed pastry edges with egg wash, avoiding the filling.
10. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the pastry is deep golden and puffed and the cheese at the edges has browned. Cheese will leak a little and fry into crisp lace — that's the good part.
11. While they bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat with the grated garlic; cook 1 minute without browning, then stir in the 2 tablespoons parmesan and the parsley.
12. Brush the hot pinwheels with the garlic-parmesan butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them set on the pan for 5 minutes, then lift them off with a thin spatula and serve warm with the marinara for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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