If you have spent any time on my page, you already know that pull apart recipes are basically my love language. From my viral Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Focaccia to my Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Focaccia, I am always looking for a new excuse to make something shareable, cheesy, and completely irresistible. So when people started asking me for a high protein version of my pull apart pizza focaccia, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
The result? These High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites. A 13×9 pan full of soft, golden, pull apart dough balls loaded with marinara, melty mozzarella, and pepperoni, made with a long fermented sourdough dough that gets its 70% more protein boost from blended cottage cheese or greek yogurt. No baking powder. No shortcuts. Just real fermentation, real flavor, and a crust that puts every quick dough version to shame. So you may want to double the batch!
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt: Both Work Beautifully
- How to Make High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites
- Pan Size Options
- Baking Tips
- Recipe
- How to Freeze and Reheat
- Substitutions and Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More High Protein Recipes You Will Love
- Never Miss a Recipe
Why You Will Love This Recipe
These are not your average pizza bites. Here is what makes them different from everything else out there.
Real sourdough flavor. Because the dough long ferments overnight, you get that deep sourdough flavor and complexity that a baking powder dough made in 30 minutes simply cannot replicate.
High protein without protein powder. The blended cottage cheese or greek yogurt is doing serious work here. Combined with bread flour and active sourdough starter, each bite packs in real protein from real food ingredients.
Pull apart perfection. The dough balls proof together in the pan, bake into each other, and pull apart with that satisfying tear and cheese stretch that makes everyone reach for seconds.
Freezer friendly. These bites are one of the best things you can batch cook and freeze. More on that below.
Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt: Both Work Beautifully
I developed this recipe using both Greek yogurt and blended cottage cheese, and the good news is that both produce beautiful results. Use whatever you have on hand or whatever fits your goals. That said, here is what makes each option shine.
Blended cottage cheese gives you a slightly more neutral, mellow flavor in the dough. That mildness lets the sourdough starter carry all of the complexity without any competing dairy notes. It also has a higher protein content per serving than Greek yogurt, which means every bite is working a little harder for you nutritionally.
Greek yogurt produces a dough with a bit more dairy flavor and slightly more richness. Both versions bake up golden, pull apart beautifully, and taste incredible.
To blend your cottage cheese, add it to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. For every 200g of cottage cheese, add 15g of milk to reach the right consistency. It takes about 60 seconds and makes all the difference.
Swap them 1:1 in this recipe with zero other adjustments needed.
How to Make High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites
This recipe can be a two day process and every bit of that time is worth it. Day one is all about building the dough and getting it into the refrigerator for its overnight cold ferment, if you choose that. How ever, mix this in the morning and you’ll be set to make this by dinner. The long ferment does have added benefits but not necessary.
Day One
Start by blending your cottage cheese until completely smooth, then whisk it together with your peaked starter, water, olive oil, and sugar. Mix your wet ingredients into the bread flour and salt in your stand mixer, knead on medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth and elastic, then transfer to an oiled bowl. At the 30 minute mark perform one set of stretch and folds to build gluten strength. Bulk ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours until the dough is 50 to 75% larger, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
However you can skip the long fermentation and continue with the day two instructions that evening to have this ready by dinner.
Day Two
Pull the cold dough out (or continue from yur bulk ferement) and divide it into balls of about 31g each, giving you 24 balls that fit perfectly in a 13×9 pan. Arrange them close together on a parchment lined, avocado oil sprayed 13×9 pan so they will touch and merge as they proof. Let them proof at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy and filling in the gaps. Dimple with oiled fingers, top each ball with marinara, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni, and bake at 430F for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before pulling apart.
The full recipe with all measurements and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Recipe
High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites (Pull Apart)
Equipment
- – Stand mixer with dough hook or your hands
- kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- 13×9 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Blender or food processor (if using cottage cheese)
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 320 g bread flour 2 and 2/3 cups
- 130 g active peaked sourdough starter scant 2/3 cup
- 200 g nonfat Greek yogurt OR 200g cottage cheese blended smooth with 15g milk scant 1 cup
- 60 g water room temperature (1/4 cup)
- 20 g olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
- 7 g salt 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 4 g sugar 1 teaspoon
For the Pizza Bites
- Your favorite marinara or pizza sauce about 1/2 teaspoon per ball
- Low moisture shredded mozzarella
- Pepperoni slices halved or quartered
- Avocado oil spray for the pan
- Flaky salt and dried Italian herbs for finishing
Instructions
- If using cottage cheese, blend 200g cottage cheese with 15g milk until completely smooth before measuring. If using Greek yogurt, measure straight from the container. Either way you want a thick smooth consistency.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the bread flour and salt and mix briefly on low to distribute. In a separate bowl whisk together the starter, Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese, water, olive oil, and sugar until smooth, then pour the wet ingredients into the flour.
- Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, and passes a partial windowpane test. Because this is an enriched dough you will not achieve a full translucent windowpane. You are looking for a partial windowpane where the dough stretches without immediately tearing. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it sticks to the bowl after 3 minutes, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it looks too stiff, add water one tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. After 30 minutes perform one set of stretch and folds by grabbing one side of the dough, stretching it up without tearing, and folding it over the center. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat four times around the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and bulk ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours until the dough is 50 to 75% larger, looks domed, and feels airy when you press it. Do not bulk ferment overnight at room temperature as over fermentation breaks down the gluten structure and causes tearing when you shape.
- Once bulk fermentation is complete, cover the bowl tightly and place in the refrigerator while your oven preheats.
- To long ferment, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. The cold ferment deepens the flavor significantly and gives you a much more extensible dough that shapes beautifully the next day. The next day remove from the fridge and continue with the instructions.
- Preheat your oven to 430 degrees F
- Line a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray generously with avocado oil.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 24 pieces of about 30g each. Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the edges underneath and rolling against the counter to build surface tension.
- Arrange the dough balls close together in 6 rows of 4 so they will touch and merge as they proof. Cover loosely and proof at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy and beginning to fill in the gaps between them.
- Use oiled fingertips to gently dimple the top of each ball. Add about half a teaspoon of marinara to each ball, then scatter shredded mozzarella generously over the entire pan. Add pepperoni pieces and any additional toppings.
- Bake at 430 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is deeply golden and bubbling, the pepperoni is caramelized, and the dough edges are dark golden brown.
- Let the pan rest for 10 minutes before pulling apart. The dough is too soft straight from the oven and will tear messily. After 10 minutes it firms up just enough to pull cleanly.
Notes
Pan Size Options
This recipe is written for a 13×9 pan, which makes 24 bites and is the most practical size for a family dinner or weeknight meal prep. It is the pan most people already have and the yield is just right without being overwhelming.
If you want to make a larger batch for a party, meal prep week, or to share, double the recipe and use a half sheet pan. You will get approximately 42 bites and the bake time stays exactly the same at 430F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Both pan sizes produce the same golden, pull apart result. The half sheet pan simply gives you more of a good thing.
Baking Tips
Pack the balls close together. The pull apart magic happens because the dough balls proof and bake into each other. Leave too much space and you get individual rolls, not a pull apart situation.
Do not skip the 10 minute rest. I know it is hard to wait when that pan comes out of the oven looking and smelling incredible. But pulling too early means the dough tears instead of pulling cleanly. Ten minutes makes all the difference.
Line the pan with parchment and spray it with avocado oil. The avocado oil sprayed directly on top of the parchment is what gives you that beautiful golden caramelized bottom on each bite.
Cottage cheese and yogurt brands vary. If your dough looks shaggy and dry after 3 minutes of kneading, add water one tablespoon at a time. If it is sticking to the bowl, add flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should be tacky, not sticky.
How to Freeze and Reheat
These pizza bites are one of the best things you can meal prep and freeze. They reheat beautifully and taste almost identical to fresh out of the oven.
To freeze after baking: Let the bites cool completely on the pan. Once fully cooled, separate them and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze uncovered for 1 hour until solid. Transfer to a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Store for up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen: Place the bites on a piece of parchment paper set on an oven rack or sheet pan at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes until heated through and the cheese is bubbling again. The parchment catches any drips while still allowing the bottom to crisp up rather than steam.
You can also freeze the dough balls before proofing. Portion and shape the balls, place on a parchment lined sheet pan, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then let come to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before proofing and baking as directed.
Substitutions and Variations
Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese. Swap in at a 1:1 ratio. Use nonfat Greek yogurt for the highest protein content. The dough will have a bit more dairy flavor and the texture is nearly identical.
Same day version with yeast. If you do not want to plan ahead, check out my High Protein Pizza Bites (Pull Apart). No sourdough starter required and it is ready in about 90 minutes.
Different toppings. These bites are endlessly customizable. Try a white sauce base with garlic and fresh mozzarella, or go with pesto and cherry tomatoes for a summer variation. Sausage and roasted peppers, buffalo chicken, or even a simple garlic herb butter work beautifully.
Scale up for a crowd. This recipe makes 24 bites in a 13×9 pan. Double it for a full half sheet pan of approximately 42 bites, perfect for a party or serious meal prep week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sourdough discard instead of active starter?
Yes, but for the most reliable results add 4g of instant yeast directly to your dry ingredients alongside the discard. The yeast handles the leavening and the discard still contributes flavor depth. Without the yeast, discard alone will ferment more slowly and unpredictably since it lacks the active yeast population of a peaked starter. If you go the yeast route, your bulk ferment will move much faster so watch for visual cues rather than relying strictly on timing.
Can I make regular pizza with this recipe?
Yes! This is a variation of my High Protein Sourdough Pizza Crust. Head over to that recipe for the full instructions and break down. Want the quick version that is ready in about an hour and a half? Check out my High Protein Pizza Crust (Instant Yeast)
My dough is very sticky. Is that normal?
Yes, this is a higher hydration enriched dough and it will be stickier than a lean pizza dough. Use wet hands instead of floured hands when handling, and trust the cold ferment to firm it up overnight. It will be much easier to work with after a night in the refrigerator.
Can I make this without a stand mixer?
You can mix and knead by hand. It will take about 10 to 12 minutes of hand kneading to develop the gluten properly. Wet your hands periodically to manage the stickiness.
How many grams of protein are in each bite?
From the dough alone each bite has approximately 2 to 3g of protein. Add mozzarella and pepperoni and you are looking at roughly 5 to 6g per bite depending on your toppings. For a meal with 4 to 5 bites you are pulling in a solid 20 to 25g of protein.
Can I bake these in a cast iron skillet instead of a pan?
Absolutely. A well seasoned or enameled cast iron gives you an incredible crispy bottom. Preheat the skillet in the oven while it preheats for the best result.
What is the difference between the 13×9 and the half sheet pan version?
The 13×9 makes 24 bites from a single batch and is the ideal size for a family dinner or weeknight meal. The half sheet pan uses a double batch and makes approximately 42 bites, which is great for a party, large family, or meal prep week. Bake time is the same for both.
More High Protein Recipes You Will Love
If you loved these High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites, here are a few more recipes from the blog that you will want to try next.
High Protein Pizza Bites (Pull Apart)
Pull-Apart Pizza Focaccia
High Protein Sourdough Dinner Rolls
High Protein Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Sourdough Pizza Scones
High Protein Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
Never Miss a Recipe
If you make these High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites I want to see them. Tag me on Instagram and leave a comment below letting me know how it went and whether you went with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.
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