May 1, 2015
Whenever I sign up to bring snacks for a team sport for any of my children, I always try to think of something different – and something that is not pre-packaged or over processed from the store. I try to make something homemade. Michael almost always requests that I make pepperoni rolls. I believe they originated in West Virginia as a common savory baked good. They are delightful pillows of soft bread that encase mozzarella cheese and salty, spicy pepperoni. It’s a nice snack option that’s not too filling but has protein and carbohydrates for refueling after a tough soccer or tennis match!

There are many recipes for pepperoni rolls. Many call for frozen bread dough that you thaw. This is a very viable option – a one pound ball of dough will make 6 to 9 rolls. I happen to have a bread machine that I use regularly so I’ve used a recipe from a website that lists various dough options. This one comes from bobheffner.com and is loosely Tim’s Pepperoni Rolls dough recipe. I have added an egg to the dough as some of the recipes call for, but I don’t think its necessary – it just makes the dough a little bit more rich. With the bread machine, I place all of the liquid ingredients in first, top with the dry ingredients – and the yeast last. The machine heats the liquid to the proper temperature, mixes it, kneads it and it rises ready to roll out in just under 2 hours. You can follow the instructions on the website for the by-hand instructions.

In West Virginia, they often use larger sticks of pepperoni cut up to tuck into the rolls. I just used regular pepperoni. Sometimes I buy it pre-packaged but today I bought it at the deli at my supermarket and asked them to cut it very thin – almost shaved. Then I rough chopped it to fill the little rolls.



Each dough ball makes 12 to 15 rolls. Once the dough is ready, flour your rolling surface (I have a great cloth that my grandma Kern passed down) and cut the dough ball into even pieces. I typically roll four to six out at a time. Sometimes the dough is extra elastic and doesn’t want to roll. If this is the case, just use your hands and spread the dough out. Place 2-3 TBS of cheese down the center of each disc. Add pepperoni to top. I suggest using some water to spread around the outer edges of the dough so it seals best. Roll and stretch the dough, tucking the ends in and sealing well. It helps to pinch the seams a little bit too.

Place the rolls about 1/ 1/2″ apart on a baking sheet. Brush them with an egg, water and olive oil mixture. This will ensure they bake to a golden brown color. Let the rolls sit for about 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 375′ for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. More often than not, some of the oil from the pepperoni and some of the cheese will ooze out. Once they cool a little bit, the cheese will tuck back into the roll – or you can snack on the crusty cheese!

I usually wrap individual pepperoni rolls in foil when they are still warm to take to the hungry athletes. Leftovers are stored in a 9 x 13 pan and refrigerated for sandwiches or snacks. These are almost as good cold as they are hot.

Pepperoni Rolls

Preparation time 3 hours.

Double batch of dough with filling ingredients will make about 30 rolls.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients for bread machine:

I make two batches each time I bake these – so you will ultimately need twice these amounts.

1 1/2 cups water
1 egg (optional)
scant 1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs olive oil or butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dry powdered milk (or use 1 1/2 cups milk)
4 cups flour
scant 1 Tbs yeast or 1 package yeast
Filling Ingredients:

1 lb pepperoni, rough chopped
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
Egg Wash Finish:

1 egg, scrambled
2 Tbs water
1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

For bread machine dough, place water, egg (if using), sugar, olive oil and salt in the machine first. Top with dry powdered milk (if using) flour, and last, yeast. Set machine on regular “dough” cycle. It should be ready in just under 2 hours. Follow by-hand instructions for Tim’s Pepperoni Roll dough found on: bobheffner.com. Alternately, defrost 2 to 3 lbs of frozen bread dough and continue.

Place dough on pastry cloth and cut into approximately 3″ pieces. The above recipe will make 12 to 14 pieces.

Preheat oven to 375′.

Roll each piece out into a rectangular shape – or close. You may need to hand manipulate the dough if it is too elastic. Place about 2 Tbs each cheese and pepperoni onto the center of each piece. Rub a small amount of water around the edges of the dough and roll up one side over the meat and cheese. Tuck the ends to seal and roll the other half of the dough around. Pinch the seams and place the roll seam side down onto a baking sheet. The rolls should be about 2″ apart to allow for expansion.

Brush each roll with egg wash. Let the rolls rest in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Bake in oven for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet until cheese begins to harden. Remove to a paper towl lined cooling rack to soak up some of the excess oil. Served best at a little warmer than room temperature. These can also be wrapped in foil and frozen.

 

Notes