The State Food of West Virginia

When I first came to West Virginia when my husband and I were dating, he thought I was nuts because I had never had a pepperoni roll.  I had eaten pizza, pizza rolls, Stromboli, calzones, pizza bagels and all kinds of other pepperoni items but never a bona fide West Virginia pepperoni roll.  Apparently, years ago, pepperoni rolls became popular in these parts because they were a filling lunch for coal miners that didn't require any heating or refrigerating.  7 years into our marriage, I have learned that you can buy pepperoni rolls in all shapes and sizes in just about any grocery or convenience store in the state!  They're usually chewy, maybe a little hint of sweetness in the bread, and loaded with pepperoni.  My husband LOVES them and so does pretty much everyone else I know who grew up around here, so I set out to learn how to make them.  This recipe makes a dozen at a time and it only takes a day for my family of 4 to eat every one of them!  I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment but you could definitely do this by hand with a little determination.

Ingredients:

1/2 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c warm water
1 pkg Fleischmann's active dry yeast
2 large eggs, beaten 4 1/2 - 5 c all purpose flour         Pepperoni Mozzarella Cheese          Bring milk to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm.  In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, beaten eggs, and half the flour. Beat until smooth.  Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, depending on the humidity and other factors. Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.  It will pull away from the sides of the bowl like the picture. Spray the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the cooking spray. . Cover bowl with a towel and place in a warm place so it can rise. It will take about an hour to double in bulk.
	After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a smooth flat surface.  I use wax paper on my table and flatten it out into a circle about 16 inches across.  The circle is then cut into 12 equal pieces.     Stretch and flatten each piece into a rectangle (notice my pop-tarts for size comparison!)    Fill each piece with sliced pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.  The amount depends totally on your tastes.   Once filled, roll 'em up and pinch 'em closed!   Cover the rolls and let them rise again for about 45 minutes.  Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until golden brown and you are unable to resist them anymore!