These Pepperoni Pizza Rolls are absolutely nothing like anything you can find in the grocery store freezer section. A fluffy, homemade brioche bread dough is layered with pizza sauce, garlic, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and basil before being cut into rolls. After baking, they’re sprinkled with even more cheese and basil to create these addictive rolls.
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We’re a pizza loving family, as I imagine most households in America with small children are. If you ask our two year old what she wants to eat for any meal, her answer is always pizza. And while we love a traditional pie, we also love to change things up a bit. I’ve done this with my Deep Dish Bubble Pizza, Chicken Bacon Swiss Spaghetti Pizza and Meatball Pizza Soup. Typical pizza flavors, but not a typical pizza. This time I’ve come up with another way to get our pizza fix with these pillowy, homemade Pepperoni Pizza Rolls.
Friends, step away from the freezer section. These Pepperoni Pizza Rolls are absolutely nothing like anything you can find in the grocery store. Think of these as something similar to your favorite roll, only instead of butter, cinnamon and sugar swirled inside, you’ve got all of your favorite pizza flavors. A homemade brioche bread dough is layered with pizza sauce, garlic, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and basil before being cut into rolls. After baking, they’re sprinkled with even more cheese and basil to create these addictive rolls.
This Pepperoni Pizza Rolls recipe makes 36 rolls but don’t let that alarm you. I guarantee they’ll disappear quickly! In fact, our family of four children and two adults can demolish more than a dozen of them for a meal when served with a side salad. I love to take any extras and put them in the freezer so that they’re at the ready for a special lunchbox treat for my oldest two or for a quick dinner when I haven’t had time to make anything else.
These Pepperoni Pizza Rolls are not only delicious, but almost therapeutic to make. The aroma of yeast and flour and the satisfaction of making a something homemade from start to finish always make me feel like a complete kitchen rockstar.
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup honey
- 1-1/2 cups butter melted
- 7-1/2 cups all purpose flour
Rolls
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 8 ounces pepperoni
- 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese + 3 cups of additional cheese for garnish
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
Instructions
Dough
- In a large five quart bowl, stir together water, yeast, salt, eggs, honey and butter.
- Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir together until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm space for two hours. The dough should double in size.
- Place the loosely covered bowl in the fridge and refrigerate for two hours, if using immediately, or up to five days if you plan on using it at a later time.
Pizza Rolls
- To make the rolls, generously dust your counter or flat work surface with flour to insure it won't stick.
- Remove 1/3 of the dough and place it on the floured counter.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough, your hands and rolling pin with flour and roll the dough into an approximate 10"x16" rectangle.
- Spread 1/3 of the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a 1" border along all sides.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the garlic powder over pizza sauce.
- Cover pizza sauce with a layer of 1/3 of the pepperoni, cheese and basil.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting with the long end furthest away from you. Slice the dough into twelve pieces. (I typically trim off both of the ends that don't have a lot of filling and discard them before cutting into 12 pieces.)
- Place rolls into a greased 9"x13" pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.
- Repeat process with additional ingredients to create two more pans of rolls.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- Immediately sprinkle 1 cup of additional cheese over rolls and garnish with additional basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Although I used my favorite store bought pizza sauce for this recipe, this Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce would also work beautifully. Pizza lovers will also no doubt love these Pizza Mac and Cheese Muffins and this Meat Lovers Breakfast Pizza.
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