Buttery Pepperoni Bread
Store-bought pizza dough is this recipe's hack for an impossibly easy and tasty pepperoni bread.
Serves4 to 6
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes
The original pepperoni bread was a simple soft roll with a stick of pepperoni baked inside. The quick and portable lunch was invented as a coal miner’s lunch in West Virginia and has recently been declared the state’s official food. Its ease and popularity has since spread across the country and variations of pepperoni bread now adorn many party platters. Our recipe makes it easy with store-bought pizza dough, which we roll up with pepperoni and cheese, like a stromboli, and serve with various dipping sauces.
How Do You Eat Pepperoni Rolls?
Once the roll is baked, slice it into 2-inch pieces that can be easily dunked into any of the following sauces:
Does Pepperoni Bread Need to Be Refrigerated?
Treat pepperoni bread leftovers like pizza. Stuffed with meat and cheese, it needs to be refrigerated. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or foil.
How to Defrost Pepperoni Bread
You can freeze a whole loaf of baked pepperoni bread by wrapping the completely cooled loaf in foil and freezing it for up to two months. Thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator or for three hours at room temperature before reheating in the oven.
Pepperoni Bread Recipe
Store-bought pizza dough is this recipe's hack for an impossibly easy and tasty pepperoni bread.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
store-bought or homemade pizza dough
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Cooking spray
- 1 teaspoons
Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon
garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes (optional)
- 5 ounces
pepperoni (about 20 large slices)
- 8 ounces
low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1
large egg
- 1 tablespoon
water
- 1 tablespoon
grated Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce or ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
Let 1 pound pizza dough come to room temperature if refrigerated, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
Place the pizza dough on a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper and stretch and roll into a 15x10-inch rectangle about 1/3-inch thick.
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in the microwave in 30-second intervals or in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if using, and stir to combine. Brush 2/3 of the mixture onto the dough; reserve the remaining to brush on top of the baked loaf.
Place 5 ounces pepperoni on the dough in an even layer, overlapping as needed. Sprinkle with 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese.
Starting with a long side, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Position seam-side down and diagonally across the silicone mat or parchment. Transfer the log, still on the mat or parchment, onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Place 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Brush on the roll.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Brush with the remaining seasoned butter and sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese on top. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces and serve with pizza sauce or ranch dressing.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftover pepperoni bread can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes.