Cheesy Bread Balls in Tomato Sauce Recipe (2024)

This might be heresy, but why not use purchased pizza dough? While not terribly elegant, this could transform this recipe into a spur-of-the moment delight!

Just a thought. Since this is a kind of deconstructed pizza, it might be fun to have other “toppings” on offer in a warm bowl nearby. Pepperoni, browned mushroom slices, peppers, olives, even arugula, come to mind. Anything your group especially likes on pizza. Each person could add what he likes to his serving.

As I read my mom mind was editing. Bought pizza dough, and the basil marinara from Trader Joe’s. Make the garlic oil

I am going to try this and wrap each mozzarella piece in a good anchovy first

Made today as a test. Serious problem with this recipe. Got to the point of taking bread balls out of oven and had to leave kitchen for 10 minutes. Instead of 8 bread balls there were 4!! No one in household could explain. Bread ball portion needs to be doubled!! (Btw, used fresh mozzarella — pressed cubes and let them drain for an hour — worked fine.)

I added finely chopped figs. They expand in the sauce and the flavors blended beautifully. Highly recommended.

Forming the cheese balls is easier, I think, and much less prone to bursting/leaking using a slightly different technique. Lightly press a piece of cheese into each piece of dough produced in step 5. Gather the edges of dough up around the cheese and pinch together firmly. Then roll the ball between both palms. This centers the cheese in the ball better than flattening the dough into a circle, which places the cheese ball much closer to the flattened side. Which then leaks while baking.

Active dry yeast is usually proofed with some water and sugar first, before adding to flour and water. Fast action yeast is added to flour and water directly, without proofing. This recipe uses the latter process, so it would be fast acting, also known as instant, yeast that is called for. I agree that the type of yeast to be used was poorly identified in this recipe.

These Cheesy Bread Balls are very tasty and, though time consuming, not difficult to make. The sauce is lovely. However, it would best be described as a deconstructed half pizza. The recipe yields a very small quantity, barely enough for a light lunch for two people. Four servings would be 2 small bread balls per person—4 bites! There is plenty of sauce, so it would be a nice side dish for a grilled or roasted fish or meat. We will double the recipe the next time we make it.

Good idea but this recipe is not well edited. Liquid amount is wrong, instructions are incomplete in some places. Be careful.

Cut the mozzarella into 20 pieces but the dough into 8? Math doesn't make sense here.

Can we have clarification on whether this is active dry yeast or instant yeast?

A few notes: Quantity: more appropriate for 4 as an appetizer. Dough: makes a minimal amount so prepare for cheese to leak out in baking. Balls do not brown in 10 mins - final browning takes place when broiling. Oil or spray for second rise as will stick to cloth otherwise. Garlic oil & tomatoes: delicious sauce - can easily accommodate added ingredients as others note. During prep we were suspicious that the final result wouldn't "come together" as intended, but it did.

Make lots. Kids love to make balls. Use Ken Forkish,’s same day pizza crust. Serve sauce on side to dip and spoon over. Other stuffing: Ricotta, Italian ham...

I think the pizza balls should be baked at 475 (vs 375 in recipe). The balls were not at all call Ike’s and brown at 375 in 10 mins. I’ll do that next time. But otherwise delicious!

This was good. My teen said it was very good and I should make it again, and that is amazing coming from him! But the quantity of food is not large; eight small bread balls sitting on some scant amount of sauce. I will double it next time. I had no trouble with the recipe as written (some mozzarella is strewn over the sauce, some goes in the balls). I used cheese sticks. Next time I might have aforementioned teen make this himself.

No stand mixer on earth will knead this tiny of a quantity of dough. This recipe needs to be scaled up, it's absurdly small imo.

Fantastic! I made some Italian sausage for Jeff to go with it. I made arugula and tomato salad for me. Yum!

I veganized this by using Miyoko's plant-based mozzarella inside the bread balls. Yum. And I grated some plant-based parmesan into the garlic oil which added a lovely tang. I've never made the sauce - I just make the cheezy bread balls and serve them doused in garlic oil. They are always a huge hit with guests.

This bread is really quick and easy to make. I took the note from other commenters and doubled the flour. I also wrapped the cheese in fresh basil before wrapping it in the dough. I also added sautéed onions to the tomato sauce, because, onions are yummy. I had some leftover chicken that I threw into the sauce. Funny, I added so much that now we have leftovers today!

I just made this tonight. But, I had a 2lb frozen pizza dough ball, which actually worked out since the recipe is too small, as others have noted. Also, I usually buy whole tomatoes in 28 oz cans, so I doubled everything in the sauce to accommodate the extra dough.Since I used a big ball, what thickness were people rolling out the rounds? I tried a bunch of sizes and thickness. For me, 3.5" rounds worked better, and I put more cheese in the balls.1 of 2

2 of 2 My notes are:1. Do the bread balls first, given the proofing time.2. Do the sauce during the proofing time, and you can time it to put the breadballs in the oven and keep the sauce going. No need to reheat.3. Do not use as much water as the recipe calls for, add water only if the sauce starts to thicken too much.4. The sauce for the recipe was underseasoned for me. I put in a shton of garlic, but needed more oomph. I put some red pepper flakes in the sauce and some soy sauce.

Double this recipe! So delicious and there weren't enough.I used the leftover sauce to cook some eggs the next morning.

Wonderful dinner on a rainy evening. Took the advice of others and doubled the dough which made 8 nice sized balls. Sauce was thick and rich...doubled as well and eliminated water. Added sausage, olives and parm to the table for add ons. A definite do over. So so good.

I think the pizza balls should be baked at 475 (vs 375 in recipe). The balls were not at all call Ike’s and brown at 375 in 10 mins. I’ll do that next time. But otherwise delicious!

Thanks for a great recipe. Followed it exactly except: we live in Burgundy, so I used red wine instead of water in the sauce. Two of us polished it all off.

All in all, a disappointment. The final cooking of the cheese balls in the sauce under the broiler produces balls with soggy bottoms. I found that unattractive.I’ve tried several times to bake and serve the cheese balls separately, then use the sauce as a dipping sauce. That solves the soggy bottom issue. However, no matter what I’ve tried, when baked this way, the balls always have a hollow core, with no readily visible cheese inside. It melts and disappears into the bread.

Forming the cheese balls is easier, I think, and much less prone to bursting/leaking using a slightly different technique. Lightly press a piece of cheese into each piece of dough produced in step 5. Gather the edges of dough up around the cheese and pinch together firmly. Then roll the ball between both palms. This centers the cheese in the ball better than flattening the dough into a circle, which places the cheese ball much closer to the flattened side. Which then leaks while baking.

Make lots. Kids love to make balls. Use Ken Forkish,’s same day pizza crust. Serve sauce on side to dip and spoon over. Other stuffing: Ricotta, Italian ham...

Grateful that he didn't say "purchased pizza dough" - some of us live in areas that getting pizza dough means making it yourself. This recipe makes the right amount for 8 balls. And of course, one can use purchased tomato sauce - just don't call it an Ottolenghi recipe anymore.