Golden brown and filled with gooey mozzarella cheese and spicy pepperoni, my Zestuous version of the pepperoni roll will please pepperoni roll purists and pizza lovers alike.
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Delicious Pepperoni Rolls
I had a fun time with this recipe. I wanted to recreate these amazing pizza rolls that I used to order in Manhattan, Kansas, at a place called Gumby’s Pizza. I always ordered a basketful and dipped them in ranch dressing. Pair them with a tall beer; you could call it a night.
I wanted to make a quick and easy recipe that packs a ton of flavor. I took inspiration from Gumby’s and the state food of West Virginia—the West Virginia Pepperoni Roll. Introduced to America by Italian immigrants as an easy meal to bring into the coal mines, this recipe pays homage to the classic pepperoni roll but with a little Zestuous twist.
I experimented a lot with this recipe. The first challenge was cooking it at the right temperature so the cheese didn’t ooze out of the knot before the dough was cooked.
The second challenge was choosing the right dough. I tried using homemade pizza dough, but proofing takes a couple of hours. My next tests were with refrigerated and frozen dough. I baked pepperoni knots with canned breadstick dough, crescent dough, pizza dough, refrigerated piecrust and frozen puff pastry sheets.
I brought all the samples to work, and the Pillsbury refrigerated garlic breadstick dough won hands down.
This is a super simple recipe. Just un-pop the can, unroll the dough, cut the strips in half, add a pepperoni-cheese sandwich, knot it up, season and bake. I’ll definitely be making these again. Enjoy!
Homemade Pepperoni Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can refrigerated garlic breadsticks
- 16 one-inch slices mozzarella cheese
- 32 slices pepperoni
- 1 tbsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- CUT: Unroll each breadstick and cut in half.
- ROLL: Roll each piece into a log about 6-8 inches long. Sandwich a slice of cheese between two slices of pepperoni. Set the pepperoni and cheese in the center of the rolled dough.
- FOLD: Grab both ends of the dough and tuck one end under the other, creating a half-knot.
- BAKE: Place each knot on a greased or silpat-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese and salt. Sprinkle some seasoning over the knots. Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 8 minutes.
- SERVE: Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat in the microwave for one minute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for classic pizza rolls
- Garlic breadsticks. If your grocery store only has regular, you can add garlic butter, garlic cloves or garlic powder before baking.
- Mozzarella cheese. For the perfect cheese pull, get a log of mozzarella and slice it yourself instead of using shredded.
- Pepperoni slices. You can use precut slices, grab your favorite from the deli counter or cut up sticks of pepperoni.
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
Substitutions: You can use any of your favorite pizza toppings and experiment with different cheeses.
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make easy pepperoni rolls
- Cut: Unroll each breadstick and cut it in half.
- Roll: Roll each piece into a 6-8 inches long log. Sandwich a slice of cheese between two slices of pepperoni. Set the pepperoni and cheese in the center of the rolled dough.
- Fold: Grab both ends of the dough and tuck one end under the other, creating a half-knot.
- Bake: Place each knot on a greased or silpat-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese and salt. Sprinkle some seasoning over the knots. Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 8 minutes.
- Serve: Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat in the microwave for one minute.
✔️ PRO TIP
Lightly brush the dough with egg wash before adding the seasoning for an extra golden crust. For a smoother cooking experience, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking.
How to serve pepperoni pizza rolls
Who doesn’t love pepperoni bread? These delicious appetizers will be the star of your next dinner party but are just as perfect as an after-school snack. Serve them alongside marinara sauce, your favorite pizza sauce or this garden-fresh spaghetti sauce for a little extra veggies. Make a pizza platter with mini pepperoni sticks, olives, cheese and any other favorite pizza toppings to wow the whole family. Don’t forget the ranch, blue cheese or hot sauce! Just like ordering a pizza, the condiments are all about what you love most.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Individually wrap them in parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag; they’ll keep for several weeks in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
The West Virginia staple is more of a stuffed pizza log shape and made with homemade dough while these are knotted and made with refrigerated garlic bread dough.
Mozzarella tends to have high water content. You can look for a low-moisture mozzarella or use less in your recipe.
Anyone who’s baked with cheese knows that sometimes it has a mind of its own. I recommend placing the knots or rolls seam-side down for a little extra stability and keeping an eye on them when baking. It took some trial and error for me to find the right temperature to avoid exploding cheese!
oh wow they look great!
Thanks Kasia. They’re so addictive.
Congrats for being recognized on foodgawker! Hmmm…. now I know why that fresh Mozzarella made it into my grocery basket today… it was destined for your delicious, simple, easy, wonderful recipe!
Thanks!!! I hope you love these as much as I did.
Presentation looks amazing