This easy pizza scroll recipe is made with fluffy homemade pizza dough, rolled thin and filled with cheese, pizza sauce, bacon and vegetables. Perfect for lunchbox treats or a handy grab-and-go lunch, these delicious savoury scrolls can be customised with your favourite toppings and made in your oven or air fryer. They make an irresistible treat that you will want to make again and again!

These easy scrolls are so simple to make and are perfect for adding to lunchboxes on a busy morning!
Just like my cheese and Vegemite scrolls and air fryer pizza rolls, they make a great lunch or even family dinner (just add some salad on the side and dinner is sorted!) that everyone will love. And making them from scratch at home, you know exactly what goes into them!
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make – simple pantry ingredients are all that you need for the pizza dough. And the toppings can be whatever you have handy in your fridge!
- Kid-approved – containing kid friendly flavours that can be adapted to suit any tastes or dietary needs!
- Make ahead – pizza scrolls are delicious hot or cold. Make them ahead and store in the fridge or freezer.
- Affordable.
- A great way to use up leftover pizza dough.
- Adaptable – swap the filling ingredients to suit your tastes, or whatever you have on hand. Leftovers like chicken, veggies or even tuna can be used.
- Freezer friendly – make in batches and store for easy lunchbox fillers, snacks or dinner when you’re in a hurry.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Plain flour – white, all-purpose flour is used for the pizza dough base of the scrolls. While regular, plain flour works great, ‘00’ flour (used for pizzas and pasta) is finer and will make a softer dough. Whole wheat/wholemeal flour can also be used.
- Yeast – to help the dough to rise. use instant, dry yeast. Dry yeast can be purchased from supermarkets and health food stores. As yeast is ‘alive’, keep it in an airtight container the fridge or freezer once opened.
- Olive oil – adds moisture and incredible flavour to the pizza dough base. I recommend a good quality olive oil for the best results.
- Cheese – use any type of all-purpose, shredded cheese that you have on hand. Mozzarella or a pizza blend are recommended, but tasty cheddar will also work.
- Pizza sauce – I use this homemade pizza sauce for maximum richness and flavour. But if you are short on time, use tomato paste with a sprinkle of fresh herbs like oregano or basil, or store-bought pizza sauce can be used instead.
- Toppings – I use a mix of bacon, salami, chilli, capsicum and fresh basil, but you can add onion, mushrooms, dun-dried tomatoes or any preferred vegetable or protein. If using wet ingredients like chopped tomatoes or canned pineapple, remove excess liquid first by pressing them with paper towel. This will stop the scrolls from becoming soggy.
Step by step guide
Full ingredient list and instructions are found in the recipe card below.
Step 1; Mix the dough.
Mix the dry pizza dough ingredients together and then add the warm water and olive oil. Knead until soft.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and rest in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes (1-2 hours is best if you have time). The yeast in the dough will release air bubbles, which helps the dough to rise.
Step 2; Roll the dough.
Once the dough has roughly doubled in size, place it on a floured bench (or silicone mat) and knead for 5 minutes, until soft and stretchy. (See image below for what the dough will look like when it’s ready). Then, roll it on a clean, flat surface or over a silicone mat, until it is roughly the shape of a rectangle and about 1cm (a little less than half an inch) in height.
**The dough can be rolled into one large slab for 16 large scrolls, or split into two portions and rolled thinner and smaller, for 20-24 smaller scrolls.
Step 3; Add your fillings.
Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce, or even swap for pesto or mustard if preferred. Add a layer of cheese and 1-2 cups of your desired pizza toppings. **Don’t make the toppings too thick, or the dough will be difficult to roll.
Step 4; Roll the dough.
Using the long edge, tightly roll the dough until the ends meet. Pinch the edges to seal so that the scrolls don’t un-roll while baking.
Step 5; Cut the scrolls.
Slice the roll into even portions and bake, using your oven or air fryer (instructions for both can be found below).
Expert tips
Here are some tips to ensure that you end up with lovely, fluffy scrolls every time.
- The water for the dough must be warm to touch, not hot. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
- Use a silicone mat or add a sprinkle of flour to the bench before kneading the dough. If the dough is sticky, add some more flour and continue to knead. The dough is ready when it holds its shape and does not stick to your hands or the benchtop.
- Pre-heat your oven or air fryer so that it is at temperature when the scrolls go in. This helps the dough to cook evenly, with the outside being golden and the insides being soft and fluffy.
- Pizza dough rises best in a warm spot. In summer, place it near a window in the sun, or another warm place. In winter, it can be a little trickier. Find a warm spot near a heater, or even place the bowl of dough in a shallow pan filled with hot water.
- Roll the scrolls tightly and seal the edges firmly, or the scrolls may unroll while cooking.
- Don’t overload the scrolls with fillings, or they will be difficult to roll and will fall apart. A thin layer is all you need.
- This recipe makes around 16 large scrolls. If you prefer mini pizza scrolls, follow the instructions below, but divide the pizza dough in half and roll out two separate, smaller rectangle shapes. Add the toppings and roll, before slicing into 20-24 smaller scrolls.
- Whether you use an oven or air fryer, cooking times will vary slightly, depending on the type of oven and the size of the scrolls. When the scrolls are ready, they will have increased in size, become golden on the outside and fluffy in the middle. There should be no raw dough in the middle.
- For gourmet scrolls, top the warm scrolls with a spoonful of basil or tomato pesto, shaved parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
- Storage; the scrolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or covered and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and eat cold, or re-heat in the oven, air fryer or sandwich press.
Pizza topping ideas
Stuck for ideas? Try these flavour variations!
- Chicken, cheese and sweet chilli sauce
- Ham, pineapple and cheese
- Basil pesto, chicken, spinach and feta
- Salami, capsicum and sun-dried tomato
- Canned tuna, tomato and onion
- Vegetarian; sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta and mushrooms
- Mushrooms, goats cheese, spinach and pine nuts.
- Swap the pizza sauce for Vegemite and cheese
- Spinach and cheese
FAQs
Yes! Allow the scrolls to cool to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container, separating any layers with baking paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature. They can even be placed into lunchboxes frozen and will thaw before lunchtime!
Pizza scrolls can be eaten hot or cold and can be safely reheated in the microwave, oven, air fryer or sandwich press. To re-heat, place the scrolls on an oven tray or air fryer basket at 180 C/356 F for around 5 minutes, or until heated through. Individually, they will take around 20-30 seconds to heat through in the microwave.
Related recipes
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Pizza Scrolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups plain flour plain, all-purpose flour or '00' pizza/pasta flour
- 20 grams dried yeast approx. 4 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt regular table salt
- 1 ยฝ cups warm water warm to touch, not hot
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings
- 6-8 tablespoons pizza sauce homemade or store bought
- 2 cups pizza cheese mozzarella or pizza mix, shredded
Choose from 2-4 of the following, or add your favourites!
- 100 grams bacon approx. ยฝ cup, diced
- 100 grams salami thinly sliced
- 1 small capsicum diced
- ยฝ cup mushrooms sliced
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
For the dough
- Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/392 F or air fryer to 180 °C/356 F. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. (If using an air fryer, no paper is required).
- To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the salt.
- Add the warm water (not too hot) and olive oil. Mix until combined.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth (2-3 minutes).
- Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit in a warm area and rise for at least 30 minutes (1-2 hours is better if you have time). The dough should double in size over this time.
- Place the dough onto a floured bench and knead for five minutes. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a little more flour until the dough does not stick to your hands or the bench.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a rectangular shape, approximately one centimetre in height. **For smaller scrolls, the dough can be divided in half and rolled into smaller portions.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the dough and then top with the cheese, to the edges.
- Add 1-2 cups of your favourite pizza toppings, spread evenly over the cheese.
- Starting from the long end, roll the dough tightly into a roll, all the way to the end. Pinch the end of the roll together to prevent the dough separating during cooking. Cut the roll evenly into 16 scrolls (or 20-24 if you have made smaller scrolls) and place onto the baking tray or air fryer basket. Leave a small gap between each scroll, as they will expand and rise while baking. **Using an air fryer means that you may have to cook in batches. Don't overload the basket, as the air needs to circulate around the scrolls in order for them to cook properly.
Oven instructions
- Bake for around 15-20 minutes (around 12-15 minutes for smaller scrolls), or until the scrolls have risen, are golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside. If a scroll is cut in half, it should have a fluffy centre. When done, there should be no sticky/wet dough in the middle.
- Place the scrolls onto a wire rack to cool slightly before eating.
Air fryer instructions
- Cook the scrolls in the air fryer (depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches) for 10-12 minutes for large scrolls or 8-10 minutes for smaller scrolls.
- Place the scrolls onto a wire rack to cool slightly before eating.
Video
Notes
- The water for the dough must be warm to touch, not hot. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
- Use a silicone mat or add a sprinkle of flour to the bench before kneading the dough. If the dough is sticky, add some more flour and continue to knead. The dough is ready when it holds its shape and does not stick to your hands or the benchtop.
- Pre-heat your oven or air fryer so that it is at temperature when the scrolls go in. This helps the dough to cook evenly, with the outside being golden and the insides being soft and fluffy.
- Pizza dough rises best in a warm spot. In summer, place it near a window in the sun, or another warm place. In winter, it can be a little trickier. Find a warm spot near a heater, or even place the bowl of dough in a shallow pan filled with hot water.
- Roll the scrolls tightly and seal the edges firmly, or the scrolls may unroll while cooking.
- Don’t overload the scrolls with fillings, or they will be difficult to roll and will fall apart. A thin layer is all you need.
- This recipe makes around 16 large scrolls. If you prefer mini pizza scrolls, follow the instructions below, but divide the pizza dough in half and roll out two separate, smaller rectangle shapes. Add the toppings and roll, before slicing into 20-24 smaller scrolls.
- Whether you use an oven or air fryer, cooking times will vary slightly, depending on the type of oven and the size of the scrolls. When the scrolls are ready, they will have increased in size, become golden on the outside and fluffy in the middle. There should be no raw dough in the middle.
- For gourmet scrolls, top the warm scrolls with a spoonful of basil or tomato pesto, shaved parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
- Storage; the scrolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or covered and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and eat cold, or re-heat in the oven, air fryer or sandwich press.
- Freezing; to freeze, allow the scrolls to cool to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container, separating any layers with baking paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature. They can even be placed into lunchboxes frozen and will thaw before lunchtime!
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the recipe being made into 16 pizza scrolls, with one scroll being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Tamara says
This recipe is the best! I made a batch for my extremely fussy children last night using just pizza sauce, sliced ham and cheese as the topping. They came out perfect and the kids very much enjoyed them. Your dough recipe is so spot on, I really appreciate it when a recipe works. I found this dough slightly more enjoyable than your dough for the cheese and vegemite scrolls, so I might try it as an alternative next time I make the cheese and vegemite scrolls.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Tamara! I’m so happy to hear that your fussy eaters enjoyed these scrolls, thanks for taking the time to let me know! And you can absolutely swap the toppings to add cheese and Vegemite, or whatever you like! Andrea ๐