High Protein Pizza Bites (Pull Apart)
Soft, golden pull apart pizza bites made with a yeasted Greek yogurt dough that delivers 70% more protein than regular pizza dough. Ready in about 90 minutes with no sourdough starter required.
Servings: 4 bite balls
Calories: 356kcal
Equipment
- - Stand mixer with dough hook or your hands
- Kitchen scale (highly recommend) measuring cups/spoons
- 13x9 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Blender or food processor (if using cottage cheese) immersion blender
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 380 g bread flour 3 and 1/4 cups
- 200 g nonfat Greek yogurt OR 200g cottage cheese blended smooth with 15g milk scant 1 cup
- 120 g water warm (100 to 110 degrees F) (1/2 cup)
- 20 g olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
- 4 g instant yeast 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 7 g salt 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 5 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 (optional)
- Avocado oil spray for the pan
- Flaky salt and dried Italian herbs for finishing optional
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, instant yeast, salt, and sugar and mix briefly on low to distribute. In a separate bowl whisk together the Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese, warm water, and olive oil 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. 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, cover, and let bulk ferment at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until visibly puffy and increased in size.
- Line a 13x9 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 31g each. Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the edges underneath and rolling against the counter to build surface tension. Arrange the balls close together in the prepared pan in 6 rows of 4 so they will touch and merge as they proof.
- Cover loosely and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This short rest allows the gluten to relax so the balls press out easily without springing back.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F while the dough rests.
- Use oiled fingertips to press each ball down and out slightly to flatten the top. 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 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is deeply golden and bubbling, the pepperoni is caramelized, and the dough edges are dark golden brown. Start checking at 15 minutes. If you prefer a more well done result, go the full 20 minutes.
- Let the pan rest for 5 minutes before pulling apart. The bites are very soft straight from the oven and will firm up slightly as they cool, making them much easier to pull cleanly.
Notes
Partial Windowpane Test:
Because this is an enriched dough with dairy, you will not achieve a full translucent windowpane the way you would with a lean pizza dough. You are looking for a partial windowpane where the dough stretches without immediately tearing and you can see light through it even if it is not fully translucent. That is the correct target for this dough. Do not over knead chasing a full windowpane.
Cottage Cheese Swap:
To use cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt, blend 200g of cottage cheese with 15g of milk until completely smooth before measuring. The milk brings it to the right consistency. Use Good Culture cottage cheese for best results as it is particularly thick and dry. Measure the blended mixture at 200g and use exactly as you would the Greek yogurt with no other adjustments needed.
Packing the Balls:
Arrange the balls close together so they touch during proofing and baking. This is what creates the pull apart effect. Too much space between balls gives you individual rolls rather than a connected pan of pull apart bites.
Cheese Coverage:
You do not need to top each ball individually, but you can! Scatter shredded mozzarella over the entire pan and let it melt into every crevice. This is the easier method and gives you the best cheese pull when you reach in.
To Freeze After Baking:
Let the bites cool completely. Freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan for 1 hour until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Store for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, place on a piece of parchment paper set on an oven rack or sheet pan at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until heated through and the cheese is bubbling.
Protein Boost:
This dough delivers 70% more protein than a standard pizza dough made with flour and water alone. The boost comes entirely from the Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, no protein powder required. Each bite contains approximately 2.9g of protein from the dough. A serving of 4 bites with mozzarella and pepperoni provides approximately 16g of total protein.
Storage:
Store leftover bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best texture. Microwaving is not recommended as it makes the dough soft and chewy rather than crispy.
