Friday, February 8, 2013

Homemade Pizza Pockets



Tonight is homemade pizza night at our house.  I normally like to have some pizza dough in the refrigerator for Friday nights and Saturday lunches.  I know that one of those meals will definitely be pizza.  The most affordable way to eat pizza is AT HOME MY WAY! 

The recipe for the dough for making pizza and Homemade Pizza Pockets is "here" and "here".  (Remember that you can make lots of things using this dough, like Homemade English Muffins, a pizza bread, or even just some simple crusty bread to go with soup.)

Sometimes, by the end of the weekend, we've eaten all the pizza we want and there's just a little dabble of dough left, like this:



What to do with such a small amount of dough? Make Homemade Pizza Pockets for the freezer, of course!  You can tailor them to have just the fillings you prefer and later in the week, you will be so glad you have some homemade goodness in your freezer for lunches on the run!   

I've made them with ham & cheese, pepperoni, just cheese, peanut butter & jelly, and even apple pockets (which I love to eat for breakfast).  This little dabble of dough will go a long way on Homemade Pockets.

Here's how I make Homemade Pizza Pockets AT HOME MY WAY:

 
Homemade Pizza Pockets (or "whatever" pockets)
 
FIRST:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Ingredients you will need:
 
 
 
  • 5 Minute a Day dough from your fridge
  • Fillings of your choice, pizza sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, block of cheese, or ham slices, cheese, or even apples with cinnamon/sugar.
  • Cornmeal or cooking spray
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Small rolling pin or heavy glass for rolling

Instructions: 
 
 
Start by sprinkling the dough you have in your fridge with flour.
 
Sprinkle a cookie sheet with some cornmeal (or spray with cooking spray).
 
Remove some dough, like this:
 
 
 
Place the dough ball on your cookie sheet (I want the least mess as possible so I keep all the rolling action on the cookie sheet.)  Make sure the ball of dough has plenty of flour on it (you're going to roll it out on the cookie sheet). 
 
 
 
I use a heavy glass to roll with because my rolling pin is too big to roll with on the cookie sheet.  Works great for me!  Roll the disc flat like a tortilla.
 
 
 
 
 
Sometimes mine turn out round.  Sometimes not.  I don't worry about it.  Keep truckin' on...
 
Now, spread a little bit of sauce in the center of one-half of the flat shape, keeping sauce away from the edge.  Top with your topping (I used pepperoni), and a couple of cheese cubes (grated cheese really seeps out fast so I use hunks of cheese instead of shredded cheese). 
 
 

Lift one half over the other half and fold to make a pocket. 
 
 
 
Crimp the edges like a pie crust, squeezing to seal and push this finished pocket off to the side.   Get out another dough ball and keep on making pockets.  You want the pockets not touching each other for baking.



Once your cookie sheet is full or your dough bowl is empty, put the pockets in the oven (preheated to 400 degrees) to bake:

Bake 20 minutes or so - until they are browning.

 
 Let them cool.  Bag them up for the freezer and you're in business!
 
 
  We just warm ours in the microwave.  Just remember that the cheese inside will be hot so be careful with the first bite!
 
 
 
Enjoy!
 
 
Gina