I don’t remember pepperoni rolls when I was growing up. I think the first time I had them may have been when I came home from living in England in 1975. I’ve tried my best baking them over the years without much success. Which isn’t a real problem because you can find a decent pepperoni roll at just about any gas station or mom and pop convenience store. Around here, bakeries make them alongside fritters and cream horns and you can buy them by the bagful.

We have a local bakery in our little burg that makes really good pepperoni rolls, but the demand isn’t too high so they only make them on Fridays and Saturdays. I seem to be busy on those days. I do indulge in their donuts mid-week so I feel like I’m supporting them.

I was sitting in my recliner, knitting another pair of mittens and watching basketball yesterday with Mr. FixIt. I got a hankerin’ for a good pepperoni roll but wasn’t about to get up and go out in 30° temps to try to find some. I’ve been ruminating since Christmas about the dough I use to make my homemade cinnamon rolls. I wrote a post about them HERE. They use an interesting dough that stays soft and chewy for days so I decided to try it for pepperoni rolls. 

Oh…My…Gosh!!!

They were heavenly! Light, moist, chewy…divine! I brushed them with butter before and after baking. I also dusted them lightly with grated parmesan cheese and a bit of Italian seasonings. I think next time, I’ll try just brushing with butter after the baking as I think it contributed to the darker crust. Also, I wasn’t please with the parmesan cheese. It was hard, dry, and brown by the time they were baked and the flavor wasn’t on point for me.

I filled the rolls with about six of the big slices of pepperoni and used the only cheese I had available at the time…sliced Colby Jack. Next time I’ll probably add more pepperoni and try mozzarella…maybe in string cheese form. You can use hot pepper cheese to turn up the heat a little bit. That’s always good.

I finished one mitten of a new pair I’m knitting with the superwash wool I bought at our local yarn shop on sale. I can get one pair of mittens or one hat from one skein with just a bit left over and each skein only cost me a dollar! These will be lovely gifts come Christmas. I shipped off some hats to my Colorado grands last week and I’m looking forward to hearing what they think of them.

Today is another chilly day so I’ll be staying in and knitting again. Not too many more days like this. I can HEAR the grass growing! We should be up to 80° by Wednesday!

“Give us this day our daily bread,”

Matthew 6:11 ESV