Spicy Giardiniera Pizza Bites

Add the sugar, yeast, salt, and olive oil the lukewarm water in a medium bowl.

Add the dried oregano and dried basil to the flour in a separate bowl.

Transfer the wet mixture to a mixer set for dough, and then add the flour, a little at a time. Mix until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (5-8 minutes). You can also knead the dough with your hands if you don’t have a mixer.

Coat a medium bowl with a bit of olive oil, and put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a thin kitchen towel and let it rise for about 1-1/2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Lightly coat a 10-inch round baking dish with a bit of olive oil.

Place the giardiniera in a small bowl, and the mozzarella cheese in another bowl near your baking dish.

To form the pizza balls, pinch off a bit of the dough (enough to form a 3-inch round, about the size of your palm), and stretch it thin in the palm of your hand.

Sprinkle in about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1 teaspoon of the girardiniera.

Fold the edges of the dough toward the middle of the round, and pinch it together so seals. It should form a ball that you’ll place, seam-side down, in the baking dish.

Start by arranging the balls around the perimeter of the baking dish, so they are snug against each other. Continue until all balls are in the baking dish.

Brush the pizza balls with a little butter, then sprinkle with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake the pizza balls for about 15-20 minutes, or until the dough turns golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe on the blog, She Makes and Bakes, and I slightly adapted a King Arthur Flour recipe to make the dough.