Mini Pizza Baguettes
I feel like anything pizza flavoured is always going to be a hit with the kids. And if I can make it ahead and keep it in the freezer too, then even better!
If you have boys in the house like I do, then you’ll know the after school situation. They come in starving, they want something right now, and before you know it, everybody is arguing about what goes on the pizza. Every single time.
So these mini pizza baguettes are my answer to that. Little homemade baguettes, stuffed with pizza sauce, lots of melted cheese and whatever pizza toppings you like. Everyone can have their own filling. Keep them plain with just cheese, add pepperoni, use up some leftover grilled chicken, or throw in whatever vegetables are sitting in the fridge. No arguments required!!
But I think my favourite thing about these is how well they freeze. You can partially bake a whole batch, freeze them, then bake them straight from frozen whenever you need them. They’re perfect for an after school snack, lunchboxes, tea time, or those days when everyone is hungry and there is no time to think.
Once they’re baked, I brush them with garlic butter straight away. That little bit of garlic butter over the warm bread makes SUCH a difference! Serve them hot with extra pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.
Preparation Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 10–13 minutes
Yields 12 mini pizza baguettes
Ingredients
Dough
130 ml warm milk
230 ml warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
7 grams instant yeast
500 grams flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Filling
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup shredded cheese
Optional Pizza Toppings
Pepperoni
Grilled chicken
Chopped vegetables
Or whatever your family likes best
To Serve
2 tablespoons garlic butter - for brushing
1 cup pizza or marinara sauce - for dipping
Instructions
Combine the warm water, warm milk, sugar and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Give it a good mix and then leave it for 10–15 minutes, until the yeast has bloomed and looks foamy.
Add the flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, knead on a medium speed for 4–5 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl and brush the top with the oil. Cover it and leave it somewhere warm for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, gently deflate it and divide it into 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a long oval. Spoon a little pizza sauce down the centre, then add the shredded cheese and your favourite pizza toppings. Make sure you leave a border around the edges so you can seal the baguettes properly!
Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and pinch the seam tightly closed. Then gently shape it into a small baguette.
Place each baguette seam side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Lightly dust the tops with flour and score them diagonally using a sharp knife. Cover and rest for another 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
If you’re serving them straight away: bake the mini pizza baguettes at 200°C for 10–13 minutes, until they’re cooked through and lightly golden.
Take them out of the oven and brush the warm baguettes generously with garlic butter straight away. Don’t skip this bit!
Serve immediately with extra pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.
Freezing Instructions
These are perfect for making ahead and keeping in the freezer.
Prepare and shape the baguettes as above, then bake them at 200°C for only 3–4 minutes. You only want them partially baked at this stage.
Let them cool completely, then wrap them well and put them into an airtight freezer safe container or bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
When you want them, bake them straight from frozen at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, or until they’re heated all the way through and golden.
Brush them with garlic butter as soon as they come out of the oven and serve them warm with pizza sauce.
A Few Things To Remember
Don’t be tempted to overfill them. I know it’s hard not to pile in the cheese and toppings, but too much filling makes the baguettes difficult to seal and the filling will escape while they’re baking.
Seal that seam really well. Pinch the dough firmly before you turn them seam side down, otherwise they’ll open up in the oven.
Change the fillings. Pepperoni and cheese, grilled chicken, mushrooms and peppers, sweetcorn, olives, or just mozzarella and pizza sauce. Whatever your lot will actually eat!
Make them ahead. Partially bake and freeze them and you’ll have freshly baked pizza baguettes ready in around 10 minutes whenever you need them.
Serve them hot. These are best straight from the oven while the bread is still warm and the cheese inside is melted.
If you give these a go, let me know how you got on!
Comments