Sliders are what happens when a kitchen realizes people order two of everything anyway. These 26 versions cover the baked roll trays that disappear at parties, plus individual burgers, fried chicken, crab cakes, shrimp po’boys and two dessert sliders that earn their spot. Twelve recipes use the connected-roll sheet-pan method, but the fillings are cooked first whenever raw meat or wet vegetables would steam the bread. Pulled pork gets pickles and cheddar, roast beef gets horseradish, and Buffalo chicken gets just enough cream cheese to keep the sauce in place. The small format makes weak construction obvious, so every wet ingredient is drained and every patty is sized for a clean bite. Put out more napkins than you think you need and keep the next tray warm, because one slider is usually a scheduling error.
Sheet-Pan Ham and Swiss Sliders
This is the tray-slider baseline: salty ham, nutty Swiss and a mustard-butter top that bakes into the roll seams. Keep the rolls attached while you build so the cheese stays evenly distributed. Rest the tray five minutes before cutting or the filling slides out.
Sheet-Pan Ham and Swiss Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment.
- Slice the attached rolls horizontally as one slab and set the bottom slab in the pan.
- Layer the ham and Swiss evenly to the edges, then replace the top slab.
- Whisk the butter, Dijon, Worcestershire, poppy seeds and onion powder and brush it over every roll.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the centers reach 165°F and the tops are brown.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut through the seams into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Pulled Pork Pickle Sliders
Pulled pork sliders fail when the barbecue sauce turns the bottom rolls to paste. Use thick sauce, drain the pickles and put cheddar against the bread as a barrier. The pork should be moist, not swimming.
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Sheet-Pan Pulled Pork Pickle Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment.
- Toss the pulled pork with the barbecue sauce until coated but not soupy.
- Slice the rolls horizontally as one slab and set the bottom in the pan.
- Layer half the cheddar, the pork, drained pickles and remaining cheddar, then replace the top slab.
- Mix the butter, smoked paprika and garlic powder and brush it over the rolls.
- Cover and bake for 18 minutes, then uncover for 5 to 7 minutes until the filling reaches 165°F; rest and cut into 12.
Sheet-Pan Cheeseburger Sliders
Bake the beef as one thin slab, then move it onto the rolls. That gives every slider a browned edge and keeps loose crumbles from falling through the tray. Pickles go on after baking so they stay sharp.
Sheet-Pan Cheeseburger Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F and press the ground beef into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the center reaches 160°F.
- Drain the beef slab and lower the oven to 350°F.
- Split the connected rolls, spread ketchup and mustard over the bottom, and add the beef slab and American cheese.
- Replace the top slab, brush with butter and bake for 8 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Lift the tops, add the drained pickles, close and cut into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Buffalo chicken belongs in a slider only when the sauce clings. Mix it with shredded chicken and a little cream cheese before it reaches the rolls. Blue cheese on top gives the tray enough bite without a separate dip leaking everywhere.
Sheet-Pan Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with parchment.
- Mix the chicken, hot sauce and cream cheese until evenly coated.
- Split the rolls as one slab and layer the bottoms with Monterey Jack, Buffalo chicken and blue cheese.
- Replace the roll tops and brush them with butter mixed with garlic powder.
- Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover for 5 to 7 minutes until the filling reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut along the roll seams.
Sheet-Pan Meatball Mozzarella Sliders
One small meatball per roll keeps these from becoming unstable towers. Flatten each meatball slightly after browning so the top slab sits level. Thick marinara and low-moisture mozzarella are nonnegotiable.
Sheet-Pan Meatball Mozzarella Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and garlic powder and form 12 small meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs at 425°F for 12 to 14 minutes until they reach 160°F, then press each lightly with a spatula.
- Lower the oven to 350°F, split the connected rolls and set the bottom slab in a pan.
- Spread half the marinara, arrange one meatball over each roll, add the remaining sauce and mozzarella, then replace the top slab.
- Brush with butter mixed with oregano and bake covered for 12 minutes, then uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Turkey Cranberry Sliders
This is the smart destination for holiday turkey, but deli turkey works too. Cranberry sauce needs mustard and black pepper to keep the tray from reading like dessert. Provolone makes a clean moisture barrier on both sides.
Sheet-Pan Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment.
- Stir the cranberry sauce, Dijon and black pepper together.
- Split the rolls as one slab and layer the bottom with half the provolone, turkey, cranberry mixture and remaining cheese.
- Replace the tops and brush them with butter mixed with dried sage.
- Cover and bake for 14 minutes, then uncover for 4 to 6 minutes until the turkey filling reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut into individual sliders.
Sheet-Pan Roast Beef Horseradish Sliders
Horseradish gives deli roast beef the sharpness it usually lacks in a warm sandwich. Stir it into mayonnaise and use a thin layer; too much heat overwhelms the beef. Swiss cheese softens the edges without making the tray bland.
Sheet-Pan Roast Beef Horseradish Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with parchment.
- Mix the mayonnaise, horseradish and Dijon.
- Split the rolls as one slab, spread the horseradish mixture over the bottom and layer on roast beef and Swiss.
- Replace the tops and brush with butter mixed with black pepper.
- Cover and bake for 14 minutes, then uncover for 5 minutes until the beef reaches 165°F and the tops brown.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut through the seams.
Sheet-Pan Philly Steak Sliders
Cook the onions and shaved beef before the tray goes together. Raw steak releases too much liquid under connected rolls and never develops griddle flavor. Provolone melts into the chopped filling and helps it stay in each square.
Sheet-Pan Philly Steak Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil on a griddle over medium-high heat and cook the onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt for 7 minutes until browned.
- Add the shaved beef, remaining salt and black pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and at least 145°F.
- Chop the filling into short ribbons and cool it for 3 minutes.
- Split the connected rolls, layer the bottoms with provolone and steak mixture, and replace the top slab.
- Brush with butter and bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Breaded chicken cutlets need to stay crisp enough to register under sauce and cheese. Bake them separately, slice them to fit and use marinara in narrow spoonfuls. The slider tray should taste like chicken Parmesan, not tomato-soaked bread.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chicken with salt, dip it in beaten egg and press it into panko mixed with Parmesan.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425°F for 14 to 16 minutes until crisp and 165°F.
- Cool for 3 minutes and cut the chicken into 12 roll-size pieces.
- Split the connected rolls and layer the bottoms with chicken, 1 tablespoon marinara per piece and mozzarella.
- Replace the top slab and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Rest and cut into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Sausage Egg Breakfast Sliders
Bake the egg as one sheet and the sausage as another, then stack them over the rolls. It is cleaner, faster and more even than chasing twelve fried eggs around the stove. Maple butter on top gives just enough breakfast-counter sweetness.
Sheet-Pan Sausage Egg Breakfast Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Press the sausage into a 9-by-13-inch slab and bake at 400°F for 12 minutes until 160°F, then drain it.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and black pepper, pour them into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan and bake for 12 minutes until 160°F.
- Lower the oven to 350°F and split the connected rolls.
- Layer the bottom slab with sausage, baked egg and cheddar, then replace the top.
- Mix the butter and maple syrup, brush the rolls and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until hot.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut into 12 breakfast sliders.
Sheet-Pan Cuban-Style Sliders
Roast pork, ham, Swiss and pickles make these unmistakable. Mustard goes against the bread, while drained pickle slices sit between the meats where they cannot soak the bottom. Pressing the tray during the first bake gives the rolls a compact Cuban-sandwich bite.
Sheet-Pan Cuban-Style Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with parchment.
- Split the connected rolls and spread mustard over both cut surfaces.
- Layer the bottom with roast pork, ham, drained pickles and Swiss, then replace the top slab.
- Brush with butter, cover with parchment and set a second pan on top as a light weight.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weight and parchment, and bake 5 to 8 minutes more until the center reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut into 12 sliders.
Sheet-Pan Reuben Sliders
Sauerkraut is the danger and the point. Squeeze it dry enough that it clumps before it goes on the rolls. Rye-flavored caraway butter gives plain slider buns the right edge without asking you to find twelve tiny rye rolls.
Sheet-Pan Reuben Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment.
- Split the rolls as one slab and spread Russian dressing over the bottom.
- Layer the corned beef, tightly squeezed sauerkraut and Swiss evenly to the edges.
- Replace the tops and brush them with butter mixed with caraway seeds.
- Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover for 5 to 7 minutes until the filling reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut through the seams.
Barbecue Brisket Cheddar Sliders
Brisket already has smoke and fat, so these need acid more than extra sauce. Toss the meat with a modest amount of barbecue sauce and add pickled red onion after warming. Toasted potato rolls catch the juices without getting sweet.
Barbecue Brisket Cheddar Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the brisket with the barbecue sauce in a skillet over medium heat.
- Turn the meat for 5 to 6 minutes until it reaches 165°F and the sauce clings.
- Butter the cut sides of the rolls and toast them in a separate skillet for 2 minutes.
- Divide the brisket among the roll bottoms and top each with cheddar.
- Cover for 1 minute until the cheese softens.
- Add drained pickled red onion and close the sliders.
Crispy Honey Chicken Sliders
Thin chicken cutlets make sliders that can be bitten cleanly. Fry them crisp, brush with honey only after draining and keep the slaw dry. A sweet glaze inside the bread is enough; there is no need to pour more over the tray.
Crispy Honey Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chicken with salt and soak it in buttermilk for 20 minutes.
- Mix the flour and paprika, then press the drained chicken into the coating.
- Heat 1 inch oil to 350°F and fry the chicken in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until 165°F.
- Drain on a rack and brush each piece with 2 teaspoons honey.
- Place one chicken piece and 1/4 cup dry cabbage on each bun bottom.
- Close the sliders and serve before the crust softens.
Lemon-Pepper Chicken Salad Sliders
Chicken salad is the cold reset in a tray full of hot sliders. Lemon zest and coarse pepper keep it bright, while celery gives the filling an actual texture. Fill the rolls just before serving so the cut sides stay soft, not damp.
Lemon-Pepper Chicken Salad Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the mayonnaise, celery, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and black pepper together.
- Fold in the chopped chicken until every piece is lightly coated.
- Refrigerate the chicken salad for 30 minutes until cold.
- Check that previously cooked chicken was stored safely and remains cold below 40°F.
- Divide 1/2 cup chicken salad among each roll bottom.
- Close the sliders and serve immediately.
Mini Crab Cake Sliders
Crab cakes should be crab first and binder second. Chill the small patties before searing so they hold their edges. A thin Old Bay mayonnaise and soft potato roll finish the slider without turning it into a seafood burger.
Mini Crab Cake Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the crab, panko, egg, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, Dijon and 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning gently.
- Form eight patties and refrigerate them for 20 minutes.
- Stir the remaining mayonnaise and seafood seasoning together.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the crab cakes for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and 165°F.
- Spread the seasoned mayonnaise over the rolls.
- Place one crab cake in each roll and close gently.
Shrimp Po’boy Sliders
Small po’boys need small shrimp or the filling jumps out in one bite. Cornmeal gives them a rough crust that stays recognizable under remoulade and lettuce. Fry in two batches so the oil does not collapse in temperature.
Shrimp Po'boy Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Season the shrimp with salt and soak them in buttermilk for 10 minutes.
- Mix the cornmeal, flour and paprika in a shallow dish.
- Drain and coat the shrimp, then fry them in 350°F oil for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp and 145°F.
- Drain the shrimp on a rack.
- Spread remoulade over the rolls and add 1/8 cup lettuce to each.
- Divide the fried shrimp among the rolls and close.
Black Bean Pepper Jack Sliders
Black bean patties need to be small, thin and well browned. Mash only half the beans so the sliders keep some texture. Pepper Jack and toasted buns bring enough richness without pretending this is beef.
Black Bean Pepper Jack Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Mash half the black beans in a bowl and stir in the remaining whole beans.
- Add the panko, egg, cumin and salt and form eight thin patties.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side until firm and 165°F in the center.
- Top each patty with half a Pepper Jack slice and cover for 30 seconds.
- Toast the slider buns cut-side down for 1 minute.
- Place one patty in each bun and close.
Mushroom Swiss Beef Sliders
These are real mini burgers, not chopped tray beef. Brown the mushrooms until dry before they touch the patties. A quarter slice of Swiss is enough to drape each slider without burying the browned crust.
Mushroom Swiss Beef Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Form the ground beef into eight loose patties and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
- Heat half the oil in a skillet and cook the mushrooms with the remaining salt for 7 minutes until browned and dry.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a plate, add the remaining oil and cook the patties for 3 minutes per side until 160°F.
- Top each patty with mushrooms and half a Swiss slice.
- Cover for 30 seconds until the cheese softens.
- Set the patties in the buns and serve hot.
Meatloaf Glaze Sliders
Meatloaf slices make better sliders the day after, when they are cold enough to cut cleanly. Sear the slices in a skillet, brush on tangy glaze and reheat to 165°F. Soft rolls and pickles handle the rest.
Meatloaf Glaze Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the chilled meatloaf into eight slices sized to the rolls.
- Mix the ketchup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear the meatloaf for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Brush the slices with glaze and turn for 1 minute until they reach 165°F.
- Place one meatloaf slice and several drained pickles in each roll.
- Close the sliders and serve while the glaze is tacky.
French Dip Roast Beef Sliders
These keep the jus outside the sandwich where it belongs. Warm thin roast beef in a clean broth, drain it briefly and add provolone to toasted rolls. The small dipping cups turn two sliders into a proper meal.
French Dip Roast Beef Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Bring the broth, Worcestershire and thyme to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the roast beef and warm it for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches 165°F without boiling.
- Toast the rolls cut-side up for 2 minutes.
- Drain the beef briefly and divide it among the roll bottoms.
- Add provolone and broil for 1 minute until softened.
- Close the sliders and serve with eight small cups of strained jus.
Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Sliders
Sweet rolls, teriyaki and pineapple can get cloying fast, so use tart pineapple and a soy-heavy glaze. Sear the chicken until the sauce turns sticky. A single thin pineapple piece adds brightness without pushing the meat out.
Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and ginger.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the chicken for 4 minutes per side.
- Pour in the sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until sticky and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Blot the pineapple rings and cut each to fit a roll.
- Place one chicken piece and one pineapple piece in each roll.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon reduced pan glaze over each and close.
Eggplant Parmesan Sliders
Salt the eggplant and blot it or the breading slips off. Thin rounds get crisp enough to stack neatly in slider buns. Keep the marinara under the mozzarella so the top bun stays dry.
Eggplant Parmesan Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Season the eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let it drain on a rack for 20 minutes, then blot dry.
- Dip the rounds in beaten egg and press them into panko mixed with Parmesan and remaining salt.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425°F for 18 to 20 minutes until crisp and 165°F in the center.
- Place one eggplant round in each bun and add 1 tablespoon marinara.
- Top with mozzarella and broil for 1 minute until melted.
- Close the sliders and serve immediately.
Pepperoncini Pulled Beef Sliders
Slow-cooked chuck gives you strands of beef that stay put in a small roll. Pepperoncini and a little brine cut the richness while provolone catches the juices. Drain the beef before assembly; the cooking liquid is for dipping, not soaking.
Pepperoncini Pulled Beef Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chuck with salt and black pepper and brown it in oil for 4 minutes per broad side.
- Add the broth, pepperoncini and brine, cover and braise at 325°F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until the meat reaches about 195°F and shreds easily.
- Shred the beef and return it to the liquid for 10 minutes.
- Drain the beef well and divide it among the roll bottoms.
- Top each with provolone and broil for 1 minute until melted.
- Close the sliders and serve with strained cooking liquid if desired.
Cinnamon Cheesecake Dessert Sliders
These are sweet tray sliders without pretending dinner rolls are pastry. Cream cheese, cinnamon sugar and a quick vanilla glaze turn the soft rolls into something between cheesecake and a cinnamon bun. Chill before cutting so the filling stays in clean layers.
Cinnamon Cheesecake Dessert Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and split the connected rolls as one slab.
- Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and half the cinnamon until smooth.
- Spread the filling over the bottom slab and replace the top.
- Mix the butter with the remaining cinnamon, brush it over the rolls and bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the filling reaches 160°F.
- Cool for 20 minutes, whisk the powdered sugar and milk and drizzle it lightly over the top.
- Chill for 30 minutes and cut into 12 dessert sliders.
Brownie Ice Cream Dessert Sliders
Brownie squares make a better frozen slider than cookies because they stay chewy at low temperature. Slice them thin, use one modest scoop of vanilla and freeze the assembled sandwiches until firm. A pinch of salt keeps the whole thing from tasting flat.
Brownie Ice Cream Dessert Sliders
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the brownie mix, eggs, oil and water until no dry pockets remain.
- Spread the batter in a parchment-lined 9-by-13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes until the center reaches 160°F and a tester has moist crumbs.
- Cool completely, chill for 30 minutes and cut into 16 equal rectangles.
- Spread 3/8 cup softened ice cream over eight brownie rectangles.
- Top with the remaining brownies and a small pinch of flaky salt.
- Freeze for 1 hour until firm and serve straight from the freezer.
The butter topping that makes tray sliders work
Butter does three jobs on a tray of connected rolls. It browns the tops, carries seasoning into the seams and slows the bread from drying while the center heats. For 12 rolls, 2 to 4 tablespoons melted butter is enough. More than that pools around the bottom crust and makes it fry in the pan. Add one concentrated flavor: Dijon and Worcestershire for ham, smoked paprika for pulled pork, garlic powder for Buffalo chicken, or caraway for Reubens. Dry seasonings distribute more evenly when whisked into warm butter rather than scattered over the rolls. Brush across the whole slab, then go back over the seams so each slider gets some. Avoid raw minced garlic on top; it burns before a cold filling reaches 165°F.
Cover the tray for the first part of baking. Foil traps enough heat to warm the center and melt the cheese without over-browning the rolls. Uncover for the final 5 to 8 minutes, when the tops can turn deep gold and the edges crisp. If the filling is already hot, shorten the covered stage rather than lowering the oven. A 350°F oven is steady enough for most trays. Rest the baked slab for 5 minutes before cutting. The cheese firms slightly, the butter stops bubbling and the filling is less likely to slide out under the knife. Use a long serrated knife and saw through the roll seams without pressing down. For a pressed Cuban-style tray, cover with parchment and set a second pan on top during the first bake; use light pressure, not a cast-iron skillet that crushes the bread flat.
Making them ahead for a party
Most hot slider trays can be assembled 6 to 12 hours ahead if the filling is cold and fairly dry. Cook meat, eggs and vegetables completely, then cool them before they touch the rolls. Put sliced cheese against the bottom bread as a moisture barrier and keep sauce in a thin middle layer. Do not brush the butter topping until just before baking; it hardens in the refrigerator and can make the tops patchy. Cover the assembled tray tightly and refrigerate it below 40°F. Pulled pork, ham and Swiss, roast beef, Reuben and breakfast trays all hold well. Fried chicken, chicken Parmesan and eggplant Parmesan lose too much crust if assembled early, so keep those components separate and build them shortly before they go into the oven.
For serving, bake one tray at a time and hold a finished slab in a 200°F oven for no more than 20 minutes. Leave it loosely tented so steam can escape. Keep cold chicken-salad sliders refrigerated until the moment they reach the table, and return leftovers to the refrigerator within two hours. Reheat meat-filled sliders to 165°F. To transport a hot tray, leave the sliders uncut, cover the pan and pack the knife separately; the connected slab stays warmer and shifts less. Dessert sliders follow different rules. Chill cinnamon-cheesecake rolls before cutting, and keep brownie ice-cream sliders frozen until service. Label spicy trays clearly and place pickles, jus or extra sauce beside the platter instead of pouring them over the bread. A party tray survives much longer when guests control the wet extras themselves.
Questions people ask
How many sliders should I make per person?
Plan on two sliders per adult when they are part of a larger spread and three when they are the main food. Children often eat one or two. For a mixed tray, make extra of the familiar ham, cheeseburger and pulled-pork versions because those usually go first.
How do I keep the bottoms of slider rolls from getting soggy?
Use thick sauce, drain pickles and sauerkraut, and cool fillings before assembly. A layer of sliced cheese against the bottom rolls creates a useful moisture barrier. Bake on parchment and rest the tray uncovered for five minutes so trapped steam can escape.
Can slider trays be frozen before baking?
Some can, but refrigerated make-ahead trays have better bread. Ham and Swiss, pulled pork and cooked cheeseburger fillings freeze reasonably well if wrapped tightly, while fried coatings, eggs and wet vegetables decline quickly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake until the center reaches 165°F.
What rolls are best for baked sliders?
Connected soft dinner rolls are easiest because they form a stable top and bottom slab. Hawaiian rolls add sweetness, while plain potato or white rolls work better with sugary fillings such as barbecue pork. Choose rolls with distinct seams so they are easy to cut after baking.
Should I cut sliders before or after baking?
Split the whole roll slab horizontally before filling, but leave the individual rolls connected during baking. Cut through the seams after a five-minute rest. Separating them early exposes more edges, lets filling leak out and dries the bread.
