Giuseppe Pepperoni Rolls Recipes

Steps:

• Gently heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. The milk should be just a little hotter than warm, between 100 and 115 degrees F (but no warmer than 115 degrees F). Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, yeast and 2 teaspoons salt. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is activated and foam covers the top, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the flour, egg and yeast liquid to a large bowl. Make the dough by mixing the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Make sure all ingredients are incorporated; the dough will be sticky and loose. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Remove the plastic and gently re-knead the dough in order to deflate it while still in the bowl. Form into a ball, as best you can, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Transfer the dough to a very generously floured surface, kneading to bring together. Cut the dough into 8 pieces, about 3 1/2 ounces each. Gently form each piece into a ball, incorporating more flour as needed so the dough is no longer sticky but still pliable. Use your hands to flatten each ball to a 4 1/2-inch circle. Brush a piece of pepperoni with oil and place in the center of the circle, along with 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Fold the dough over the pepperoni, like a burrito, and place on the prepared baking sheets seam-side down. (It's ok if the filling is not fully encased at this point.) Repeat with the remaining pepperoni and cheese, placing the bundles on the baking sheets at least 1 inch apart to allow for a third rise. Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 30 minutes. The rolls will puff up just a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining oil and bake until the crust is crispy and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Steps:

• Add the warm water to a measuring cup. Stir in the yeast and syrup, then let stand for 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, salt, 1 teaspoon oil and yeast mixture. Pulse several times on low to combine, then knead on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
• Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or olive oil. Use floured hands to remove the dough from the mixing bowl and transfer it to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl using a damp towel, and let the dough sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise.
• As dough rises, prepare the stick pepperoni (if using): Cut the pepperoni into 2 (5-inch) lengths. Cut each piece lengthwise into 3 slabs, then cut each of those slabs lengthwise into 3 even batons, forming a total of 18 pieces, each 5 inches long and about 1/3-inch wide.
• Lightly spray or oil a baking sheet. When the dough is ready, use floured hands to remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a floured surface. Cut it into 6 equal portions, about 4 ounces each, and roll them into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Spray or lightly oil the top of each ball of dough and cover the baking sheet lightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough. Using floured hands, remove a dough ball and place it on a floured work surface. Either roll or stretch the dough into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle. (Be careful not to make the dough too thin, or it will be hard to roll up the pepperoni.)
• Set a 6-inch edge of the rectangle facing you. Starting about 1 1/2 inches from the short edge closest to you, place 3 pepperoni sticks crosswise on the dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each stick.
• Take the dough edge closest to you, fold it over the first pepperoni stick, adhering the top layer of dough to the bottom layer of dough, and then proceed to make 2 more folds away from you to enrobe the remaining 2 pepperoni sticks. If using slices, imagine separating your dough into thirds by creating 2 crosswise rows of pepperoni, each overlapped like a spread of cards, 6 pepperoni slices wide. Fold the dough closest to you over the first row of pepperoni slices, then fold up the dough to cover the second row of pepperoni slices, so the pepperoni and dough form alternating layers.
• Return the roll to the baking sheet, setting it seam-side down. (Resist the urge to tuck in or fold over the shorter ends.) Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls and pepperoni sticks or slices.
• Brush the rolls with the melted butter and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with any remaining butter. Let cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine, then add 1 cup water. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Continue mixing at medium-low speed until the dough forms a smooth, silky ball, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a tight ball, set in the bottom of the mixer bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in size, about an hour.
• For the pepperoni roll: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roll the dough out into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. If the dough isn't stretching well, cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stretch again.
• Leaving a 1/2-inch border, cover the dough with the sliced pepperoni. Cover the pepperoni with the mozzarella. Fold over the outside edges of the dough and roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll.
• Transfer the roll to the baking sheet, seam-side down. Make 6 shallow cuts on an angle on the top of the roll. Brush with the oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Dissolve sugar, yeast, salt in the warm water.
• Stir in the flour, using extra flour or water as needed to make a soft dough that isn't too sticky.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead for a couple of minutes. Shape into a ball and let raise in a bowl for 30 minutes to an hour, covered with a towel. Volume should double.
• Turn the raised dough back onto the floured board, and cut it into 12 pieces (I use a scraper/cutter, but a knife works fine.).
• Take each piece, flatten it lightly on the board with your hand, and place 4-5 slices of pepperoni in the middle, overlapping but not stacked.
• Add cheese.
• Roll it up like a jelly roll, and then crimp it with your fingers to seal the ends into an oval, with no pepperoni sticking out. Place on an ungreased baking sheet with at least an inch between each one.
• Beat in an egg and add a tablespoonful of water. Brush rolls lightly with this glaze. You don't need to let the rolls raise further, but you can if you want to.
• Bake rolls at 425 degrees until golden brown.