6 Recipes To Make With Pizza Dough

Maybe you passed by the fresh balls of pizza dough in the grocery store and grabbed one on a whim and now you need inspiration. Maybe you made a double batch of dough a while back and have half of it in your freezer. Or maybe you just feel like being creative today.

Having a ball of pizza dough to use doesn't mean you have to make a classic pizza. With these 6 recipes, you can get creative—from breakfast pizza to calzones to sweet monkey bread. Or go pizza-ish with calzone or pepperoni rolls.

Each of these recipes works with store-bought dough or homemade dough. If you're new to making your dough, I suggest starting with no-knead pizza dough recipe to take the intimidation out of the process.

1. Garlic Knots

Tie strips of pizza dough in knots. Brush with olive oil. Let them proof. Bake. Then brush a garlicky butter sauce on the still-warm knots. Make more than you think you'll need because everyone loves them.

2. Cheeseburger Pizza

Pizza that tastes like a cheeseburger. Why not? Instead of putting ground beef, "special sauce," cheese, pickles, and tomato on a bun, put them on pizza dough. Once you get the idea, you can have whatever kind of cheeseburger pizza you want—add bacon, onions, mushrooms, or any other favorite topping.

3. Pepperoni Rolls

Pepperoni rolls are so simple and hard to resist. The yeast dough bakes up soft and fluffy. True West Virginia-style pepperoni rolls are made with a soft roll dough, but pizza dough will work nicely as a stand-in. The pepperoni soaks the dough with greasy, salty deliciousness. Make these at least once. I promise they'll be a hit.

4. Pepperoni Calzones

Stuff pizza dough with pepperoni, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella cheese. Bake them until golden brown. Serve jarred marinara on the side for dipping. The hardest thing about these pockets of goodness is waiting for them to cool off enough so you don't burn your mouth with the hot filling.

5. Pickle Pizza

You'll never look at dill pickle slices the same after you taste what they can do as the star of a pizza. The pickles go on top of a layer of freshly made garlic dill sauce. Then add a layer of mozzarella, Parmesan, more pickles, and fresh dill. The combination of sour pickles, savory cheese, and pizza crust can't be beat.

6. Sausage Rolls

Cut the pizza dough into strips to wrap around pieces of cooked fresh pork sausage links. These rolls are great for potlucks or snacks while watching the game. Serve with plenty of yellow or Dijon mustard for dipping.