Whether round, square or rectangular, pizza is offered at a wide variety of restaurants during all dayparts.
In fact, pizza is so popular that it’s not just for dinner anymore. Snacking and on-the-go eating occasions are growing, and pizza can fit the bill.
The average number of snacking occasions per day has risen to about 2.3 times, and 33% of all consumers agree they are snacking more often, according to the Datassential Keynotes for Snacking Report (August ’23).
Consumers are seeking portable snacks for on-the-go convenience that are easy, quick, and indulgent.
Snacking represents long-term growth potential for restaurants. Pizza dough and crusts are the ideal solution, since they can combine the two popular trends – snacking and on-the-go eating — into craveable items across dayparts.
Restaurant operators can transform versatile pizza doughs and crusts they already have on-hand into virtually any creation. With pizza dough in the kitchen, there’s a world of possibilities at your fingertips!
This idea is catching on. According to Technomic’s Pizza Industry Report (November 2023), more than 70% of pizza operators agree that they are experimenting more with globally inspired pizzas and pizza ingredients than they were two years ago.
Think outside the pizza box: roll it, fill it, twist it, or fold it. Consider creating cheesy breadsticks, calzones, soft pretzels, or even cinnamon rolls.
Here are 12 ways that operators can transform pizza dough into mouthwatering options, both sweet and savory, for all dayparts:
1. CINNAMON ROLLS. Brush the dough with melted butter, top with cinnamon sugar, roll it into a tight log, cut into pinwheels, tray and bake. Add icing or glaze to sweeten the deal, and serve for a morning delight or a pick-me-up snack any time of day.
2. FRIED DOUGH & BEIGNETS. Simply cut dough into pieces as small as you desire, fry until golden brown, and dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey or chocolate sauce for a sweet, doughy dessert.
3. SWEET & SAVORY HAND PIES. Fill individually portioned dough with any hand pie toppings you desire – ground meat and veggies for traditional “pasties” or get creative with themes, such as taco or cheesesteak. Next, fold over the dough, cut small slits into each pie, crimp the edges and bake. For sweet hand pies, add fruit filling and glaze with icing. Perfect for handheld, on-the-go snacks or treats.
4. SANDWICH CARRIERS. Rich’s regular or plant-based parbaked crusts — made with over 20% veggies per crust — make for crispy, flavorful sandwich carriers. Simply cut into your sandwich shape, bake and fill.
5. GARLIC KNOTS & BREADSTICKS. Transform dough into knots or sticks, brush them with garlic, butter, and seasonings, and bake until irresistibly fluffy and golden. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping. Perfect for dinner – or pizza – sides and add-ons.
6. EMPANADAS. Bake up these Spanish palm-sized pastries with pizza dough! Simply fill individually portioned dough rounds with an empanada filling – traditionally ground beef, potatoes, veggies, and spices.
7. PIZZA BOMBS. It’s a snackable explosion of your favorite pizza toppings – think cheese, pepperoni and marinara sauce – all wrapped inside balls of pizza dough. Pizza Bombs make great appetizers, shareable snacks or fun add-ons, and they can be prepared simply with Fresh ‘n Ready Oven Rising Sheeted Pizza Dough.
8. PIZZA ROLLS & PINWHEELS. Spread sauce and toppings on the dough, roll up the dough, slice into bite-size pieces, bake and serve. These make great shareable appetizers for the whole table.
9. PIZZA LOGS. These egg-roll shaped delights pack all of the pizza flavor into a fried roll of dough. There’s no need to sauce the dough before frying; serve pizza logs with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
10. PIZZA POCKETS. These small, sealed pockets of dough filled with pizza ingredients bake up into great grab-and-go bites.
11. STROMBOLI. This rolled pizza dough filled with meats, cheese, and veggies bakes into a delightfully crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside appetizer, snack, or meal.
12. CALZONES. It’s Italian folded pizza! Simply fill the dough with any ingredients – cheese, meats, vegetables, sauce (or save this for dipping!), fold into a half-moon shape and seal the edges before baking. This elevated pizza rendition can be served as an entrée.
For more out-of-the-box recipe ideas, training videos, and a variety of solutions for restaurant operators, visit Rich’s Pizza Portal. Rich’s is proud to offer the most diverse and flexible frozen dough, crust, and fully topped pizza portfolio.
