Bacon Cheeseburger Pinwheels

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 3/4 lb (340 g) ground beef, 85% lean
• 1/4 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp ketchup, plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard, plus more for serving
• 1 lb (454 g) refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz / 170 g) sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickles, patted very dry
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

How to make bacon cheeseburger pinwheels

1. Step 1.

   Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the fat.

2. Step 2.

   Add the beef and onion to the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking the meat into very small crumbles, until no pink remains, 6–8 minutes. Drain off the fat.

3. Step 3.

   Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, ketchup and mustard and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the mixture looks dry rather than saucy. Spread on a plate and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

4. Step 4.

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet or 9-inch round cake pan.

5. Step 5.

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10×14-inch rectangle. If it springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again.

6. Step 6.

   Scatter the cooled beef, bacon, cheddar and pickles evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Press the filling down lightly.

7. Step 7.

   Starting from the long side opposite the bare border, roll the dough up snugly and pinch the seam closed. Chill the log on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.

8. Step 8.

   Cut the log into 12 slices with a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss. Arrange cut side up in the skillet, fitting them close together.

9. Step 9.

   Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden and the dough in the center rolls is no longer doughy when gently pulled apart (about 190°F on an instant-read thermometer).

10. Step 10.

    Cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with ketchup and mustard, or burger sauce, for dipping.

How these differ from crescent pinwheels

Flat cheeseburger pinwheels made with crescent dough, like our Big Mac pinwheels, are thin, flaky and crisp. These use pizza dough and bake close together in a round pan, so each spiral is taller and softer, with a bready interior that absorbs the melted cheese. They are more substantial, closer to a small sandwich than a cracker-like bite, and they pull apart at the table.

A dry, cool filling is everything

Any moisture in the filling ends up inside the rolled dough, where it cannot evaporate. The result is gummy, underbaked spirals. Draining the beef, cooking the ketchup and mustard into the meat until it looks dry and patting the pickles thoroughly all prevent that.

The filling also needs to cool completely. Warm beef melts the cheese and steams the dough while you are still rolling, making it stretch and tear. Spread it on a plate so it cools quickly.

Crumble the beef finely

Large chunks of beef create gaps and lumps as you roll and then fall out when you slice. Break the meat into small crumbles as it cooks, and chop the bacon and pickles small as well. The finer the filling, the tighter and neater the spiral.

Rolling and slicing the log

Room-temperature dough stretches much more easily than cold dough. If it keeps shrinking back as you roll, leave it covered for 5 minutes so the gluten relaxes. Roll it up snugly but not so tight that the filling squeezes out of the ends.

A short chill firms the log and makes clean cuts much easier. Dental floss slipped underneath, crossed over the top and pulled tight, cuts without squashing the rolls. A sharp serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion also works.

Bake them snug, and bake them through

Placing the slices close together makes them rise upward and into each other, keeping the sides soft and the rolls tall. The outer rolls brown first; the center rolls are the ones to check. When they are done, the dough between spirals looks cooked and springy rather than wet, and an instant-read thermometer reads about 190°F. If the tops brown before the center is ready, cover loosely with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes.

Dipping sauces

Ketchup and yellow mustard keep the classic cheeseburger flavor. For a burger-sauce dip, stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish and 1 teaspoon yellow mustard.

Making ahead and reheating

Cook the beef and bacon up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. You can also assemble, slice and arrange the rolls in the pan, then cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, and add a few minutes to the baking time.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat wrapped in foil at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Baked, cooled rolls also freeze well for up to 2 months.