9 Things You Can Make With Store-Bought Pizza Dough That Aren't Pizza

If you've been going down a list of every possible food you can make while in quarantine, odds are you've made it to pizza by now. And if you're a first-time pizza baker, you've likley picked up store-bought pizza crust. While this is a great shortcut, there are hacks for store-bought pizza crust you can try to not only make a better pizza, but to also make other foods.

Store-bought pizza crust is a great product for beginners trying to make pizza on their own. But that's not the only thing it's good for. Essentially, store-bought pizza crust is just a combination of yeast, flour, water, and salt. The only difference between the store-bought dough and one that you would make on your own is that you don't have to take the time to proof and knead the yeast or let it rise. It takes all the hard work out of it, but still is just plain dough at the end of the day. This means it can make a great base for other treats.

Whether you want to stick with pizza or venture out to something new, store-bought pizza crust will make a great base for your next quarantine creation. Here are some ideas on how to make it work.

1. Bake Breadsticks

Because store-bought pizza crust is just dough, you can turn this dough into the base for breadsticks. Just cut up the dough into different segments (as thick as you'd like your breadsticks to be) and then season them with garlic sauce, crushed red pepper, and salt. Even throw some cheese on there to make it cheesy garlic bread and voila! Ready for dipping.

2. Brush With Garlic Sauce

A really simple trick to add some flavor to your pizza crust (if you decide to use it for pizza) is to take a garlic sauce and brush it over the entirety of the crust. This'll give the pizza that delicious garlic-y taste you'll find when you buy pizza. It'll also make it appear a little more professionally done.

3. Make Cinnamon Rolls

If you have the Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust you can turn it into quick and easy cinnamon rolls. All you need is some butter, sugar, cinnamon (of course), and a vanilla or cream cheese glaze (which you can buy or create at home yourself). Mix the butter, sugar, and cinnamon over the dough and roll it into a log. Then slice the log into different sections before baking. That's all it takes!

4. Create Cake Pops

If you separate and mold the pizza dough into small balls, they can serve as the base for homemade cake pops. Then, all you have to do is place them into a cake pop maker or fry them on a stove and then decorate them with chocolate and other flavors once they're done. After refrigerating, you can have the final product.

5. Make Naan

Naan is a South Asian bread that goes deliciously with different curries. It's super simple too. Separate the dough into two or three sections and flatten them out. Then, fry the dough over oil or ghee. You can add salt, butter, and garlic flecks to season it. Then, enjoy the naan plain or with a meat or vegetable dish.

6. Stuff The Crust With String Cheese

If you enjoy your pizzas with stuffed crust, you can do this even if you buy the crust already-made. Just flatten out the crust and place different string cheese rolls around the parameter. Then, roll the sides of the dough to blanket the string cheese. After you proceed making the rest of your pizza, once you pop it in the oven, it'll transform into delicious, cheesy stuffed crust that you'll love.

7. Make Pretzel Bites

Your store-bought pizza dough is only a few ingredients and steps away from becoming delicious pretzel bites. All you need is baking soda, a beaten egg, and any dip you might want for afterwards. Cut the dough into little balls and then boil them in water. Then add baking soda until they get bigger. Last, put them on a baking sheet and pop them in to bake. You can use the beaten egg to make the salt stick to them once they're done baking.

8. Bake Dinner Rolls

Your pizza dough is basically already the perfect base to make dinner rolls. You just need to cut them up and then it only takes a little butter, salt, and baking to transform them. At the end, you'll have the perfect side to any dinner.

9. Add Water To Dough

If you want a crispier pizza, the secret is to add water to the dough. Even though the dough is ready-made, you can add water to it and continue to knead it. This will make your crust crispier when it comes out of the oven.