Halloween pumpkin pizza bombs: An easy, cheesy snack with mozzarella

Ingredients

For the pizza bombs:

• Pizza dough — 1 sheet

• Tomato sauce — 100 g

• Mozzarella — 150 g

• Ham — 100 g

• Egg — 1

• Fresh basil leaves — for serving

• Salted pretzels — for decoration

• Kitchen twine — for shaping

For the marinara sauce:

• Tomato sauce — 150 g

• Garlic — 1 clove

• Olive oil — 1 tbsp

• Salt — to taste

How to make pumpkin-shaped pizza bombs

Divide the pizza dough into equal portions and roll each one into a small circle.

Place a little tomato sauce, pieces of ham, and mozzarella in the center of each circle. To help the pizza bombs hold their shape while baking, avoid adding too much filling. Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and pinch them firmly to seal, preventing the cheese from leaking out during baking.

Carefully tie each dough ball several times with kitchen twine to create the characteristic indentations of a pumpkin. Don’t pull the twine too tight, as the dough will expand in the oven.

Beat the egg and brush it over the dough balls. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until golden brown, following the temperature recommended for the dough you are using.

Once baked, let the pizza bombs cool slightly. Carefully remove the twine without damaging the dough.

To make the sauce, pour the olive oil into a small saucepan, add the minced garlic, and heat briefly. Add the tomato sauce and salt, stir, and cook until the sauce is warmed through and well combined.

Before serving, insert a small piece of salted pretzel into the top of each pizza bomb to resemble a pumpkin stem. Garnish with basil and serve with the marinara sauce.

Practical tip

Use sturdy kitchen twine rather than regular sewing thread to shape the pumpkins. Make sure to remove all the twine from the baked pizza bombs before serving.