West Virginia Style Pepperoni Rolls

Could anything be better than fluffy little rolls stuffed with pepperoni? We think not.

4.18 from 103 votes

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Cook Time: 1 30

Inactive Time: 2 30

Total Time: 4

Servings: rolls

Calories: 178kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups hot water (100–110ºF)
2 envelopes active dry yeast (not instant)
4 tablespoons sugar
1¾ tablespoons salt
Extra virgin olive oil
7-8 cups all-purpose flour
16 ounces stick pepperoni (cut into 4-inch long sticks)
Cornmeal

Egg wash:

1 egg
2 tablespoons water

For serving, optional:

Instructions

Activate the yeast:

Rinse a large bowl and glass measuring cup with hot water 2–3 times to temper them. Add 4 cups of 100–110ºF hot water to the large bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, and let stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Make the yeast sponge:

Add the sugar and salt to the water and yeast. Stir to dissolve. Top with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes to 24 hours. The sponge should be thick and bubbly when you're ready to begin. See notes 1 and 2.

Prepare the dough:

Begin adding flour to the yeast sponge, one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon between additions. You will add around 7–8 cups of flour in total.
Continue adding flour until the mixture is thick, raggedy, and difficult to stir. See note 3. Once you can handle the mixture with your hands, dump the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. You can work any remaining flour into the dough with your hands.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding sprinkles of flour as necessary to remove any stickiness from the dough. Feel free to occasionally channel your inner pizza maker and slam the dough on the counter. After 10 minutes, the dough should be elastic and feel smooth to the touch.

Rest the dough:

Clean out the bowl that originally contained the dough. Drizzle it with two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, and use a paper towel to coat the inside of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
After the dough has risen, punch it down to remove any large air pockets.
Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal.

Make the pepperoni rolls:

Tear out a section of the dough, a little smaller than the size of a tennis ball. Flatten the dough ball between your palms into a slightly oblong shape.
Add 4 sticks of pepperoni to the middle of the dough. If you'd like more, add more, but I recommend starting with 4.
Fold the dough over the pepperoni and pinch the dough down the center to seal the roll, using a bit of water if needed.
Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet and continue making the rest of the pepperoni rolls. Arrange them on the baking sheet approximately 1 to 2 inches apart.

Rest the pepperoni rolls:

Cover the baking sheet with wax or parchment pepper and allow the rolls to rest for 30 minutes. See note 4.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Make the egg wash

Whisk together the egg and water until smooth.

Bake the pepperoni rolls:

Remove the wax or parchment paper. Brush each roll with the egg wash. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. The rolls are done when they are deep golden brown on top with a hard exterior.
Remove from the oven and let cool.

To serve:

Serve the pepperoni rolls with Oliverio Peppers and Tomatoes or with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Or enjoy them on their own as a delicious snack! Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: The preferment can be set for 30 minutes up to 24 hours. The longer you allow the yeast sponge to form, the deeper the flavor of your bread will be.

Note 2: If no sponge forms–and this rarely happens–I recommend cutting your losses and starting over. There are a few reasons for a sponge not forming, such as the water being too hot or not hot enough or the yeast being bad. Check the sponge after 30 to 45 minutes, and if you see nothing forming, start again.

Note 3: I have found that after about 7 cups of flour, the dough is raggedy and difficult to stir. At this point, I scoop out the remaining 1 cup of flour and set it aside, turn the dough onto a floured surface, and work the remaining flour into the dough with my hands as I knead it.

Note 4: The pepperoni rolls may poof up to the point they are touching during the final proofing process. Fear not! After they bake, you should be able to easily tear them away from each other.

Nutrition

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