Baked Ham and Cheese Sticks

These crisp pastry sticks wrap sliced ham around cheese and seal it inside pizza dough. A dry filling, tight seam, and short rest before baking help keep the cheese inside.

Details

• Yield: 8 sticks
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Bake: 15 to 18 minutes at 400°F/200°C

Ingredients

• 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
• 8 thin slices fully cooked ham
• 4 mozzarella string cheeses, halved crosswise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Equipment

Use a rimmed sheet pan, parchment, rolling pin, pizza wheel, pastry brush, small bowl, and instant-read thermometer.

Method

1. Heat oven to 400°F and line the pan. Let cold dough stand 15 minutes so it rolls without springing back.
2. Roll dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle and cut into eight rectangles.
3. Pat ham dry. Place one slice and one cheese half across each dough portion, leaving a clean border.
4. Fold short sides inward, roll tightly, and pinch the long seam and ends closed. Arrange seam-side down two inches apart.
5. Mix oil, Italian seasoning, and garlic; brush over dough and sprinkle with Parmesan.
6. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until evenly browned and the center reaches 165°F/74°C. Rest five minutes before serving.

Cues and troubleshooting

Properly baked dough is golden on the bottom and no longer pale beside the seam. Escaping cheese usually indicates a thin spot or an incompletely pinched end. Patch tears with a small piece of dough before baking. If dough retracts during rolling, cover it and wait five more minutes. Avoid heavily wet or thick-cut ham, which creates steam and prevents a tight seal. Some leakage is harmless; let it crisp on the parchment.

Substitutions and serving

Turkey can replace ham, and cheddar sticks can replace mozzarella, although cheddar leaks more readily. Crescent-sheet dough makes a softer, richer wrapper and may bake a few minutes faster. Add a thin stripe of mustard, not a spoonful, to avoid sogginess. Serve with tomato sauce, mustard, vegetable soup, or a crunchy salad.

Storage and safety

Planning note

For even baking, weigh the dough and divide it into eight equal portions before rolling. The unbaked sticks can be assembled and refrigerated on the covered pan for up to four hours. Brush with seasoned oil only immediately before baking. Cold assembled sticks may require one additional minute in the oven.

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use within three days. Reheat on a sheet pan at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F; a microwave softens the crust. Freeze cooled sticks for up to one month and thaw in the refrigerator. Ham is fully cooked, but the assembled filling still needs thorough reheating, especially when prepared ahead.

For serving, pair the warm sticks with mustard in a separate dipping bowl.