Frozen dinner roll dough makes this recipe easy.
Simply flatten out the dough, and top it with pepperoni and mozzarella.
What Are West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls?
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Pepperoni rolls are soft, pillow rolls of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.
They were first made as a portable lunch for coal miners.
The rolls didn’t need refrigeration and could be carried with them underground.
Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Sally McKay
You’d have to work hard to not find pepperoni rolls when you’re in West Virginia.
They’re on restaurant menus, at parties, and even served at gas stations.
Outside of West Virginia, you’ll be hard pressed to find them, though first cousins like thekolacheexist.
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Pepperoni rolls can also be frozen.
)slices sandwich-style pepperoni(such as Boars Head) (from 2 [4-oz.]
5oz.thinly sliced mozzarella cheese(about 7 slices) (from 1 [8-oz.]
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
(Try not to flour dough surface; it could keep dough from sealing.)
Place 2 pepperoni slices in middle of each dough round.
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Tear cheese into pieces, and arrange evenly over pepperoni.
Roll up dough jellyroll style; pinch ends and seams well to seal.
Brush 2 tablespoons of the butter evenly over rolls.
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Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Immediately brush butter mixture evenly over warm rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mozzarella cheese is absolutely the best cheese for West Virginia pepperoni rolls.
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Yes, you could use fresh pizza dough instead of the dinner rolls dough.
Just tear the pizza dough into balls of equal size.
Then roll each ball out and continue with the steps of the recipe.
Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Sally McKay
Yes, pepperoni rolls are famous in West Virginia.
In fact, they’re the official food of West Virginia.
Italian immigrant and baker Giuseppe Joseph Argiro created pepperoni rolls around 1927 in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Sally McKay
They were eaten by coal miners who needed an easy lunch while they were in the mines.
Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Sally McKay
Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Sally McKay
