Homemade Hot Pockets

After hearing "Mom, will you please, please,please get some Hot Pockets at the store" for the millionth time, and then not buying them because I'm too cheap and they're gone in 1 second, I decided I'd look for a homemade version instead.
Besides being way more healthy and a lot cheaper , these homemade hot pockets from Our Best Bites are about a million times better tasting. Just the smell of them baking had my kids and husband grabbing them up as soon as they came out of the oven.
I also made a double batch so I got 16 generous sized hot pockets. I did half ham and cheese and the other half (which was the most popular) pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. I individually wrapped the leftovers and put them in a freezer bag.

At least that's one thing my kids won't be begging me for anymore. As for gummy worms, otter pops and fruit snacks? That's another battle for another day.

Homemade Hot Pockets

1 recipe bread stick and pizza dough  ( found here or below)
Desired fillings (I used about 6-8 oz. of ham and 4-6 oz. sharp cheddar. For the pizza version, I just  spread the pizza sauce to my liking and threw some mozzarella cheese and about 5-6 pepperonis in each one.)

Prepare dough through the first rise. After dough has risen the first time, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, probably about 16×8 inches big (16 inches long, 8 inches tall). 

Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 8 equal portions.

Leaving a little bit of a “margin” on the right and left sides, add toppings with the cheese going on last.

Stretch the dough out a little to give yourself a bit more dough to work with. Fold the left side over the middle and then the right side over that. Starting at the bottom of the “mummy,” tightly roll the filled dough, stretching it very gently as you go to make sure you’re getting a tight seal. 

Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. When finished, cover the pan with a clean cloth and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

When oven has heated, bake pockets for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. For shine, you could brush the tops with a bit of egg white mixed with water during the last 5 minutes of baking, or you could rub a little butter on top of the rolls while they’re still hot. I chose the butter, of course.

Makes 8 generous sized hot pockets

Bread stick and Pizza Dough

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.
Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:

Bake according to directions and allow to cool. Place in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeezing out all the air. When ready to serve, just pop in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on how fast your microwave cooks).

Recipe and Picture from: Our Best Bites
Posted by: Sallie