Pizza Bites

2 recipes pizza dough
8 oz. block mozzarella cheese
4-6 oz. thin sliced pepperoni
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 C. olive oil
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Pizza or marinara sauce

Prepare pizza dough and chop pepperoni. Cut block of mozzarella into 48 cubes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease three pie pans. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom off each pan.
Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough. In each dough piece, place a few pieces of pepperoni and a cube of cheese. Seal and pinch the dough around the meat and cheese and place seam side down in a pie pan.
Repeat, placing about 16 dough balls in each pan .
Once assembled, combine oil and spices and brush over the balls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 16-20 min. Dip in leftover pizza sauce.

Basic Pizza Dough
(double to do a whole pizza bite batch)

1 pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp. loose yeast)
1 C. warm water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 3/4 C. flour

Combine yeast and warm water, stir to dissolve.
Add oil, salt, and flour. Stir to combine.
Once dough starts to come together, turn out onto a floured counter and knead to thoroughly combine- until dough is smooth and elastic (I just used my Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook attachment).
Place dough ball in a greased bowl, set in a warm place, and allow dough to rise until doubled, approximately an hour.

~K.F.