Easy, No Yeast Pizza Rolls +Easter Books for Kids
life is hard; food doesn't have to be #85 [vol3, 4.2]
These come together fast and are sure to be a crowd pleaser. Instead of yeast, this recipe uses baking powder as the leavening. It’s sort of like biscuit dough. Perfect after school snack or fun appetizer dinner.
2 cups all purpose flour*
3t baking powder
1/2t salt
7T butter, grated (pop stick in freezer a few minutes before grating)
¾ cup milk
shredded cheese
pizza sauce (jarred or make your own)
diced ham, bacon or pepperoni
anything else you like on pizza: olives, chopped spring onions, sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, chopped herbs for garnish.
alternatively: make these unlike pizza with pesto, ham, spinach and feta.
*I’ve not tried with GF flours but I bet it would work.
parchment paper makes clean up a cinch
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375*
In a large bowl, whisk (or use a fork) flour, baking powder and salt together. Grate most of a stick of butter on top. It helps if the butter is really cold. Whisk all ingredients together, making sure butter is separated and covered by the flour mixture.
Pour milk over and gently combine. The temptation is to knead this mixture like bread. RESIST that temptation and channel your inner imperfectionist. You want the dough to just come together in a ball.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. For easy clean up, first lay a piece of wax paper or parchment then sprinkle flour on top.
Use a rolling pin or a large drinking glass (or just smash with your hands) into a rectangle until the dough is about 1/2” thick. Again, channel that imperfectionist and try not to over work the dough. Think: work quickly and don’t melt the butter with my warm hands.
When we keep the butter in chunks and not melted, this is how the dough becomes flaky.
Once the dough is flat resembles a rectangle, spread sauce. Pizza sauce, alfredo, pesto - sky’s the limit! Then any toppings but especially cheese.
Roll up starting along the long side then slice into 12 pieces. If you want to even up things: first slice off 1/2 inch of the ends to make it prettier (I did this but couldn’t waste the end pieces so I shoved them in the pan as well.)
Score the log starting at half way then halve each of those sections until you have 12 score marks. Then go back and slice through. A serrated knife makes easy work here.
Transfer 12 sections into a 9x13 pan. Line with parchment paper for easy clean up. Do not use wax paper in the oven, as the wax melts onto your food and pan making a huge mess.
Bake 30 minutes, watching for the perfect golden brown situation.
On repeat: this peasant bread from Alexandra Cooks. Simple, easy and delicious. Highly recommended. I also love her brioche buns.
Enjoyable read: I'm common as muck and spent £150 ($200) in a Michelin star restaurant to see if it was worth it. I loved her honest reflections on the experience.
Books for the Easter Basket
For boys 8-12yo - Ten Boys Who... 5-Volume Boxed Set - each book is 10 biographies of male Christian leaders from church history to modern day.
For girls 8-12yo - Ten Girls Who... 5-Volume Boxed Set - each book is 10 biographies of female Christian leaders from church history to modern day.
The above books are perfect for family read alouds; chapters are short for growing attention spans. Depending on the family/child situation, I think kids young as 3 could listen to parts.
ABCs of Church History - It’s an oversized hardback that focuses each letter of the alphabet on someone from church history. Illustrations are very interesting and it’s a super fun way to learn and remember important people and events. One friend recently said her book club choose the book — so it’s not just for kids! (approx 3-99yo)
The Big Picture Storybook Bible - Graphics are phenomenal. I loved reading this one to little attention spans. Theology for toddlers. (approx 2-7yo)
Jesus Storybook Bible - This bible teaches rich theology in a way for kids to grasp. I’ve wept on more than one occasion, thinking about His great love for us, reading this one to the kids. My husband actually used it in a seminary level class. (approx 7-99yo)
The Action Bible - is a graphic novel drawn by Sergio Cariello (who has drawn for both Marvel and DC comics). My boys have loved this (Caroline too!) (approx 5-12yo)
The Brick Bible - Two volumes of Lego meets graphic novel. My youngest is the sensitive type and even though they’re Lego bricks and men, sometimes the depictions of Old Testament battles are too graphic. Plus he’s deciding to wait to read more of Revelation from this Bible. (approx 5-12yo)
The Man Born to Be King - a play by Dorothy Sayers that was read every Lent by CS Lewis. It’s quite readable and brings fresh perspective on a familiar story. (approx 12yo+)
Music for kids that won’t drive you crazy: Seeds Family Worship puts scripture to music. They have lots of videos younger children to participate with motions while they memorize music and scripture. Here’s an Easter playlist. They’re also on all the streaming platforms just search “seeds family worship easter”.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be,
Julie