Homemade Pizza Pockets

No cooking sleeve required: these homemade pizza pockets are nothing but fresh, seasoned dough, filled with your favorite meats, vegetables, and cheeses. And they’re freezer-friendly!

Me and pizza. We have a deep love for one another. Actually, it’s pretty one-sided, but I have love enough for us both.

One thing I don’t love, though, is store bought pizza pockets. They were a pretty big deal when I was in junior high; twice a week my parents would give me cash to buy one, along with a can of Snapple, from the student store. The endless wait to use one of two microwaves was always worth it because of the pouch of hot, melted cheese waiting for me at the end.

Now? Now, I have a hard time remembering what I saw in them. I’ll get a craving for one a couple times a year, but each time I break down and buy a box, I always tell myself, “See? They’re not good. At all. Don’t do this again.”

With this recipe, I don’t have to. I can make my own homemade pizza pockets and I get to know exactly what goes in to them. The batch in these pictures was an afterthought, thrown together with the same quick dough I use for grilled pizza. I stuffed them with pepperoni and mozzarella and called it good- and they were, so good.

When I plan ahead, I love to fill my dough with onions, peppers, or leftover marinated chicken. They’d be divine with oven-fried chimichanga filling or even vegetables only. It doesn’t really matter what goes inside; anything wrapped in homemade dough, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with garlic salt is going to be a winner.

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Ingredients

1 tsp yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs olive oil
pizza fillings: vegetables, meats, cheese

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, water, and sugar. Allow it to sit for three to five minutes so yeast can get foamy. Add the flour, garlic salt, oregano, and olive oil and mix on low until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on speed 2 for three minutes.

Allow the dough to rest for five minutes while you prepare your desired fillings. Dump the dough onto the counter and divide it into four equal size balls (if you’re anal about stuff like this, I highly recommend a food scale). Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the ball out into a flat circle, about eight inches across (a French rolling pin is ideal here). Place your filling on one half of the circle, leaving a half inch border. Fold the other half over the filling and use a fork to seal the edges all the way around.

When all your pockets are filled, place them gently on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for four to six hours and them place the pizza pockets in a freezer bag.

To cook: preheat oven to 450 degrees. I cook mine on a pizza stone; you can’t beat the crispiness. If you’re using a stone, allow it to preheat with the oven. When the oven is preheated, place your pizza pockets inside- either directly on the pizza stone or on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip them halfway through for even browning.

Immediately after removing your homemade pizza pockets from the oven, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes

If you don’t have a stand mixer, complete the paddle attachment part with a regular wooden spoon (or Danish dough whisk) and complete the dough hook part by hand on a floured surface.

This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Trust me, you’re going to want to have these on hand.

Don’t forget to pin these homemade pizza pockets!

(this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)