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    Home » Recipes » Pizza Recipes

    Easy Homemade Pizza Buns

    Aug 24, 2017 | by Jennifer | Last Updated: May 7, 2021

    Jump to Recipe

    Just like the ones at the grocery store! Make your own Pizza Buns at home. They are easy and freezable, too!

    homemade pizza buns on cooling rack

    They always say not to shop when you're hungry and I try to follow that rule, but don't always succeed. That's when anything remotely "ready-to-eat" holds special appeal and high on that list is the grocery store's bakery made pizza buns. Even in a non-hungry moment, those lovely, cheesy buns seem to call my name every time I walk by them :)

    I am not powerless to resist them though, because those suckers are expensive and I know how to make them easily and much more economically at home. Oh yes I do!

    So with only 90 minutes and about $4 in ingredients, I can make 16 pizza buns that are guaranteed to make me immediately popular with my family, which will fill my freezer with ready-to-heat-and-eat snacks and may help you with those lunch boxes you need to fill.

    Cook's Notes

    I made smaller and thinner buns than the ones in the grocery store. I'm a thin-crust pizza kind of gal, so since I was in making the sizing decisions now, I went smaller and thinner. You can easily make them thicker and/or bigger if that's the way you like 'em. Instead of dividing the dough in to 16 pieces, go with 8. You'll just get fewer buns, of course. If you make thicker buns, be sure to increase the amount of sauce and cheese you put on each bun, to keep the topping to bun ratio in good order.

    Baking at 375 F. will produce a crispy crust. If you prefer soft, bake at 350 F. instead (time may vary slightly).

    And speaking of cheese, yes, I used cheddar, because that's what the pizza buns in the store have on them. It's good. Of course, you can always use mozzarella (or another cheese), if you like. That's the great thing about making your own. You get to make all the decisions :)

    Easy Homemade Pizza Buns

    homemade pizza buns on cooling rack

    Homemade Pizza Buns

    These are just like the ones they sell in the grocery stores. Why pay too much for them, when you can make them easily at home for a fraction of the cost?
    Author: Jennifer
    4.9 stars from 27 ratings
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    Prep Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Lunch, Main Course, Snack
    Servings 16 buns

    Ingredients
     

    For the pizza bun dough:

    • 2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, or bread machine or rapid rise yeast
    • 1 cup warm water, quite warm - 120-130° F.
    • 1 Tbsp vegetable, canola or other neutral oil

    For the toppings:

    • 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce, (make your own or a good store-bought)
    • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
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    Instructions
     

    • For the dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook, mix together 2  cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and instant yeast. In a measuring cup, combine the warm water with the oil. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Knead by hand or with the mixer, add more flour in small increments, as needed, until the dough comes together into a smooth dough. It shouldn't stick to your hands or be dry and crumbly. Grease a bowl and place the dough ball into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
    • Prepare two baking sheets by lining each with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Remove the dough to a floured cutting board. Cut the dough evenly in half. Cut each half in half again. Cut each piece in half again and then in half again, to make a total of 16 roughly equal sized pieces. 
    • Take a piece of dough. Form it in to a rough ball, then stretch in to a circle about 4-5 inches in diameter. (You don't need to stretch them completely at this point. Once the dough has rested a few minutes on the baking sheet, they will be easier to shape, so you will be going back and stretching them out a second time later.) Place the dough circle onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each piece of dough, placing 8 on each on the prepared sheets (you can place them fairly close together as they don't spread much, but don't allow them to actually touch each other). Go back to the first pieces you formed and stretch them a little more, as needed.
    • With all your rolled dough on the baking sheets, using a teaspoon from your cutlery drawer, top each piece of dough with two heaping teaspoon of pizza sauce, spreading it over the top, going as far to the edges as you can without it going over the sides. Top with a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat with all the buns. Let stand 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven.
    • With racks in the upper and lower third of your oven, preheat oven to 375° F. with the rack in the centre of the oven. After buns have stood for 20 minutes or so (or until they look a little puffy around the outside edges), bake in preheated for 20-25 minutes , switching the pans from top to bottom half way through baking. Cook until well browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate. Or see below for freezing instructions!
    • Freezing: These buns freeze really well. Freeze them on baking sheet and then transfer to a freezer bag. To enjoy straight from the freezer, no need to thaw. Just place the frozen buns on a baking sheet and warm in a preheated 400° oven for 7 or 8 minutes.

    Notes

    Be sure to read the "Cook's Notes" in the original post, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 96mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.

    Course Lunch, Main Course, Snack
    Cuisine American
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    Meet the Author:
    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!

    I love to share the classic recipes that I have enjoyed for years, as well as newer discoveries, that have become fast favourites.
    More about me here ...


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michele says

      June 01, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      4 stars
      I make 15 buns because I can fit 5 on each pan, by weight the dough balls are 2.1 ounces each, my sons enjoy these pizza buns and they are much cheaper than the store bought, 25 minutes is spot on, I rotate the pans at 10 and 20 minutes since I bake all three pans at once.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        June 01, 2022 at 6:50 pm

        So glad you are enjoying the, Michele :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    2. Melissa says

      April 02, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      5 stars
      We love these pizza buns, taste just like they came from the bakery of a famous grocery chain here in Ontario.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        April 02, 2022 at 6:01 pm

        So glad to hear, Melissa and yes, they were inspired by those very buns ;) Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Clarity says

      February 07, 2022 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy and delicious! They look just like the picture and taste better then any pre-made!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 07, 2022 at 6:54 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much :)

        Reply
    4. Laura says

      May 09, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      The most amazing and delicious recipe, usually double the recipe as they are that good. I have made with Plant based cheddar and add toppings to some which kick them up a notch.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        May 09, 2021 at 8:37 pm

        So glad you are enjoying them, Laura and yes, the are great for playing with toppings, too :) Thanks!

        Reply
        • Sarah-C says

          September 29, 2021 at 10:26 pm

          5 stars
          I hate how much pizza buns cost especially when they're so delicious.
          This was my first attempt at them and they turned out amazing!
          You can eat them as is, or carefully slice it to make a sandwich with hot mortadella with NOTHING else needed. Or any other meat you enjoy of course.

          Thank you for sharing a simple yet AMAZING recipe!

          Reply
          • Jennifer says

            September 30, 2021 at 9:56 am

            So lad you are enjoying them and loving the idea of making a sandwich with them :) Thanks so much!

            Reply
    5. Cassandra Shortt says

      April 17, 2021 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great recipe. The whole family love them! Thanks for posting 🙂

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        April 17, 2021 at 1:44 pm

        So glad you are all enjoying them, Cassandra :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. Sarah says

      February 13, 2021 at 7:38 pm

      I grew up in Canada eating pizza buns all the time. Now that I live in the US and can't have them I have searched high and low for a recipe so I can make them at home. This is it! Can't wait to give them a try!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 13, 2021 at 8:24 pm

        So glad you found them, Sarah :) I'm pretty sure these will satisfy your craving. Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Jennifer says

      August 26, 2020 at 12:48 am

      I just made these after my kids went to bed. I ate 3 of them! They are great. A batch in the freezer and the rest ready for camp lunches.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 26, 2020 at 9:09 am

        So glad you enjoyed them, Jennifer! I love having these in the freezer, too :) Thanks so much.

        Reply
    8. Elizabeth says

      February 02, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      A favourite after school snack. The kids requested this for lunch Tuesday when they are here during the teacher's strike. Great recipe and easy to make!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 02, 2020 at 7:22 pm

        Glad you are enjoying these! Too bad about the strike situation. Hoping it can be resolved soon.

        Reply
    9. Patricia says

      January 30, 2020 at 10:13 pm

      Just bought four of these for 5.29 at Zehrs. I will try this recipe for sure. Yummy♥️

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 31, 2020 at 8:44 am

        I had a hard time paying for these (though I did enjoy eating them :). Nice to have an option to save money and still be able to enjoy them, too!

        Reply
    10. Christa says

      January 21, 2020 at 6:55 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Easy to make and customize, and best of all... yummy!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 21, 2020 at 9:44 am

        So happy to hear, Christa :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    11. Christina says

      September 10, 2019 at 4:31 pm

      I’m going to give it a try I spend $5.99 for 3 buns it’s expensive buying them so existed to try

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 10, 2019 at 6:53 pm

        They are expensive, especially considering they are pretty easy to make at home. And they do freeze beautifully and re-heat quickly (from frozen!). Enjoy!

        Reply
    12. Amanda says

      February 28, 2019 at 6:01 pm

      4 stars
      This is a great recipe. I did find they were more like an actual pizza instead of the pizza buns.... what did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 01, 2019 at 8:31 am

        Hi Amanda, I'm not sure you did anything wrong. Maybe you were just expecting something different. These are "copycats" of the pizza buns that are sold at all the grocery stores here in Ontario, Canada. They call them pizza buns, so that's what I call them. They are really just little pizzas.

        Reply
        • Shara says

          June 03, 2019 at 2:40 am

          5 stars
          I'm in BC Canada and this is one variety we get in the store. Today I picked some up to take on a hike and saw "pizza pretzels," "pizza buns," "mozza buns," and "mini pizzas" lol I'm sure there is little difference. Our local buns are puffier and tend to have a layer of cheese rolled inside. These are more like the mini pizzas and they are all awesome. Thanks for the recipe! Mine are in the oven now. Look great so far! I came here because I also love these, but can't justify buying them as much as me and my kids want lol

          Reply
          • Jennifer says

            June 03, 2019 at 10:00 am

            Thanks Shara! I think you'll love having these on hand. I sure do :)

            Reply
    13. Tanya says

      November 12, 2018 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Omg these are amazing and super easy to make. Thanks so much for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 12, 2018 at 7:06 pm

        So glad to hear, Tanya! Thanks :)

        Reply
    14. Caron says

      October 17, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      Made these today and served them with homemade ham and pea soup for supper. Huge hit with the family! Gobbled them up! Thanks for this easy and yummy recipe!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 17, 2018 at 9:43 pm

        So glad to hear, Caron! Thanks :)

        Reply
    15. Sammi Harasymchuk says

      July 03, 2018 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe!! I tripled the batch and added jalapenos or banana peppers to some of mine! Everyone was raving about them! Especially great, heated up over the camp fire! Thanks for the fool proof recipe! Officially your newest fan!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 03, 2018 at 11:42 am

        Thanks so much, Sammi :) So glad you are enjoying them!

        Reply
    16. nellie says

      January 13, 2018 at 11:00 am

      I'm not sure, in the way it is written, which oven rack you should bake the homemade pizza buns on? Thank you for the recipe!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 13, 2018 at 12:32 pm

        Hi Nellie, if you are baking the two pans at the same time, you would put one rack in the bottom (2nd position from bottom, likely) and one rack in the top (2nd position down from the top). Then you would put one sheet on each rack and rotate them top to bottom about halfway through baking so they bake evenly. All that said, if you have a big pan and can get all of them on one pan, just bake on a rack in the center position all the way through baking. Hope that helps :)

        Reply
    17. Sarah says

      December 30, 2017 at 12:38 am

      Hi, just wondering how you would make the dough in a bread machine? Any tips would help thanks :-)

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        December 30, 2017 at 6:50 am

        Hi Sarah, I don't have a bread machine but from what I understand you could just dump all the dough ingredients in and run it through the dough only cycle. You would have to use bread machine or instant yeast of course. After that just shape, top and bake :)

        Reply
    18. Laura | Tutti Dolci says

      September 06, 2017 at 2:28 pm

      These look like the perfect after school snack or fast weeknight dinner - I'd be in carb heaven! :)

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 07, 2017 at 8:27 am

        Thanks Laura and yes, carb heaven for sure :)

        Reply
    19. Germaine says

      August 31, 2017 at 10:45 pm

      Just discovered your site... I know what took me so long to find you - lol I found another great recipe actually it was the recipe I was looking for and than I came across this one - Pizza Buns yummmm - my question is - can the dough be made in a Bread Machine. Thanks and I subscribed to the group??

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 01, 2017 at 8:16 am

        Hi Germaine and thanks! And yes, you can absolutely make this dough in a bread machine :) As long as you start with bread machine (or instant) yeast, you can just combine all the ingredients and proceed as you normally would. Enjoy!

        Reply
    20. Cali says

      August 28, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      Packing school lunches is very difficult at our house. My daughters refuse to take anything that resembles a sandwich - peanut butter or turkey or anything. What makes it worse, they refuse to purchase the school lunch because apparently 'that isn't they kind of food that we eat.'

      I'm always on the hunt for a good lunchbox idea, this is perfect! Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 29, 2017 at 7:34 am

        Hi Cali and I always had the same issue when it came to lunchboxes! These are a great option, as you can put them in the lunchbox frozen and they are thawed by lunchtime, too :) Enjoy!

        Reply
    21. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

      August 28, 2017 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      OMG, Yaaass!! I know exactly what pizza buns you are talking about in the bakery section of some grocery stores!! I love those things! Sadly, none of our stores here sell them, so since we moved to NC I haven't been able to get my fix. Clearly, that's about to change, because I'm definitely going to make these.. and then proceed to devour them in record time! Gimme gimme!!!! Cheers, friend!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 29, 2017 at 7:32 am

        Thanks so much, Cheyanne and yes, they are always tempting at the grocery store, except when I have some in the freezer ;)

        Reply
    22. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      August 24, 2017 at 7:41 pm

      I would definitely be powerless to resist these Jennifer! I'm literally drooling all over my computer keyboard! These will be a hit for fall college football weekends!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 25, 2017 at 8:09 am

        Thanks Chris and oh yes, perfect football food, too!

        Reply
    23. Milena | Craft Beering says

      August 24, 2017 at 5:18 pm

      I am glad you re-posted these, I am back to trying to figure out what to make for school lunches. These cute pizza buns have the exact ingredients my son likes. I have a feeling that he will be a fan. Pinned!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 25, 2017 at 8:08 am

        Thanks Milena and I have a feeling he will be a fan, too :)

        Reply
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