West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls

I was making these last summer but I wasn't thrilled with the dough I was using.  I finally found the right combination and it is the only one I will make going forward.   West Virginia pepperoni rolls should be a combination of a slightly sweet dough to combine with the salty, spiciness of the pepperoni.  This does it perfectly.

Excuse the light.  This is what happens in my kitchen on a sunny morning this time of the year.

Here is the recipe for the dough:
3 tsp rapid rise yeast
2-½ cup of water
½ cup sugar
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup of shortening
1 teaspoon of salt
1 egg
7 to 8 cups of flour
1 ½ sticks of pepperoni, cut into matchsticks (about 1 pound total)

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg

Make the dough and place it in a covered buttered bowl and let it rise until doubled.

I also made my own version of the Oliviero pepper sauce which is served with these rolls.  I sauteed 2 onions in a bit of olive oil and added 4 sliced green peppers.  You can use any combination of peppers you like.  This s a great recipe to use lots of peppers from your garden.  When the peppers still had a bit of a crunch I added 8 cups of the canned tomato sauce I put up last summer. I added garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper and some dried oregano and basil.  Then I added 1 can of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  I let this simmer until it thickened.

You divide the dough into 24 balls and roll each one into a square.  I cut the pepperoni into 3 inch long logs.  Lay a piece of pepperoni at the edge of the dough and roll it once. Add another piece and roll it again. Then add a third piece and roll and seal the dough. Place these on a cookie sheet and let them rise until doubled.

Brush them with the glaze and bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they turn golden.

Serve them with a side of the pepper sauce. My husband got to sample one and he was very happy to do so!

I made 50 of these for the after school kids yesterday and 18 kids polished off every bit of these along with all of the pepper sauce.  I might have to make these for us over the holidays because they are so good and we never get any. I always give them all away.