~ Amazingly simple and totally delicious pepperoni bread! The perfect appetizer for parties, or a fun twist on pizza night! A family favorite that takes hardly any time to make! ~
Let’s journey back in time, shall we?
Do you remember waaaaayyyyy far back to when I shared a recipe for Cheeseburger Salad with Oven-Roasted Fries? It was one of our first posts, nearly two years ago.
Hold up! Almost two years?? OMG. Shelley and I have been sharing recipes with you for almost two years?!?
They always say time flies when you’re having fun … and well, we’ve sure been doing that (and then some)!! But golly … two years!
But I digress. Sorry about that. Ah-hem.
So back to the Cheeseburger Salad (super yummy bytheway). You may remember that I mentioned that I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant.
It was a super fun way for me to interact with adults and I didn’t need to cut their food into teensy tiny pieces (bonus!). I had a blast cooking with groups of gals at the parties and sharing new recipes and tons of laughs!
(Shelley’s also shared her experiences from back when she needed to converse with humans over 4 years old, and thank goodness she did. It led to this and this.)
One of things I loved (and still love!) about Pampered Chef is the recipes. Impressive-looking but easy-to-make is the name of the game.
And their Pepperoni Pizza Twist is no exception. In fact, when I saw a photo of their Pizza Twist in one of their cookbooks, I thought I’d never be able to make it. It seemed way to difficult.
It kinda reminded me of a jazzed up version of pepperoni bread.
Pepperoni bread is something that Italian grandmas make, right? It’s passed down from generation to generation.
I’m not Italian. I’m German and a little Irish. (I’m pretty sure pepperoni bread, pepperoni rolls and pizza twists don’t hail from those parts.)
Well lemme tell ya something. I finally decided to try it. And I’m so happy I did! It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever cooked up in that little kitchen of mine. I may have shed a tear. I almost didn’t want to cut into it. But we had to see how cheeeeeeesy and pepperoni-y it was.
Oh friends. It was lovely.
Of course, that original Pepperoni Pizza Twist has changed over the years – I even made it simpler! – and I’ve healthified it for my family (and for you, too)! It’s more of a traditional pepperoni bread now … in a fun twist form!
I’ve taken this fancy yet easy pepperoni roll to get-togethers as an appetizer. People scarf it down – it’s gone in a flash! (Pssssst … this is definitely a slam dunk if you need a March Madness food idea … and it’s a guaranteed touchdown at Super Bowl parties!)
And, I often serve it for dinner (pairs great with a big salad full of veggies!). It always earns cheers from my fam … even my youngest who, at times, claims to not like pepperoni (I don’t know why).
I gave a little of this pepperoni bread to Shelley several months ago. She’s so sweet and actually shared her itty-bitty slice with her family. The next day, she politely told me it was too small of a slice.
Well ok then.
Whatever size slice I happen to have, I’ve eaten it fresh out of the oven, and fresh out of the fridge.
It’s delicious both ways. Just in case you were wondering.
Its simplicity makes it even more of a fave at my house. I’m not joking when I tell you that it’ll pretty much be ready to go into the oven before your oven is preheated.
The toughest part is separating the egg white to brush on the top with some Italian spices (sooooo not tough!). And don’t, don’t, don’t skip that part. It’s totally not the same. The egg white beautifully browns the top and gives it just a little crunch. You won’t want to miss it.
Fact is … you just really won’t want to miss any part of this. It’s simple, it’s delicious, it’s perfect!
Easy Pepperoni Bread
Amazingly delicious Pepperoni Bread! And of course, our version is healthier and so easy, too!
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat dough
- 4-5 ounces turkey pepperoni, quartered
- 2 cups shredded, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
- optional for dipping: your favorite pizza sauce
Instructions
- Allow dough to come to room temperature so it's relaxed and easy to work with.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (or the temperature that your brand of dough specifies).
- Divide dough equally in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a large rectangle (about 18 inches x 6 inches). The dough will relax into a slightly smaller size, which is fine.
- Lay both rectangles of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Combine the pepperoni and mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl. Spread half of the pepperoni and cheese mixture down the center of each dough rectangle.
- Beginning at the end of one dough rectangle, pull the dough up and over the fillings. Pinch it together (the dough should be slightly sticky and will hold together). Continue folding the dough in and gently pinching to secure, working down the entire length of the dough. Repeat with the other dough rectangle.
- Once both rectangles have been pinched closed, turn them over so the "seams" are on the bottom, and the rectangles are closely side by side.
- Gently "braid" the two dough rectangles together, twisting them around each other (over and then under), three times.
- Using a sharp knife, cut 2-3 inch slits along the top of the pizza bread, one slit on each braided section.
- Lightly beat the egg white and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the entire top and sides of the dough with egg wash.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes (or follow your specific dough's recommended bake time), until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and cut into 1-2 inch slices. Serve with sauce for dipping, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 servings Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 383mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 5gSugar: 0gProtein: 14g
Nutrition information does not include optional dipping sauce. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
This recipe is loosely inspired by Pampered Chef’s Pepperoni Pizza Twist recipe, which was featured in their recipe booklet, Season’s Best (fall/winter 2002).
I was a Pampered Chef a while back and was definitely impressed with the foods that they came up with. This pepperoni braid is gorgeous. I’ll have to make up a party of some sort just so I can enjoy it.
Haha! Love it! I’ll come to that party if it means you’ll be serving this pepperoni bread! I loved being a PC rep – I always had a blast with the parties – so much fun! And some of those recipes are still my favorites! We still make the Cheeseburger Salad all the time, too! Thanks for stopping by, Christine! 🙂 ~Gretchen
I have the same question as Aunt Kay. How do you measure out one pound of dough??
Hi Sandy! Thanks so much for stopping by with your question! I answered Aunt Kay’s similar question about this pepperoni bread at length, so without completely repeating all of that again … basically, you can purchase a pound of whole wheat dough (at your grocery or maybe at a local pizza shop) or you can make your own. If you’re making your own recipe and don’t know how much dough it yields, you can weigh it out on a chef’s scale, although most recipes will probably give an indication of the amount of dough the recipe will make, so you won’t need to weigh it out. And, to be honest, as long as you get relatively close on this recipe, you’ll be just fine. Really – if you have a little extra dough, your pepperoni bread will simply be more about the bread … and if you have too little dough, it will just be more bursting with pepperoni and cheese filling. So, don’t sweat it too much – just make this … and HAVE FUN trying it! Hope you love it every bit as much as we do! 😀 ~Shelley
This is my type of stuffed bread! I can smell it all the way here!
Lol, Katerina! It’s seriously possible that you CAN smell it!! Talk about a recipe that makes your house smell fantastic … oh, this pepperoni bread will definitely do that for ya! Mmmmmmmm … you’ll LOVE it! Thanks so much for stopping by! 😀 ~G&S
My grandkids are coming for a visit next week. Can’t wait to try this and have it ready when they arrive! You didn’t mention if you used frozen bread dough, allowing it to thaw completely first, or if you made your own and weighed out a pound of the kneaded dough, or was it pizza dough purchased raw from your favorite pizza shop?
Hi Aunt Kay! How fun to have the kiddos coming for a visit! We’re delighted that you want to make our recipe to share with them!
Basically, you can use 1 pound of dough … regardless of where it comes from.
One of our local groceries sells whole wheat pizza dough in refrigerated, one-pound bags. Because it’s so quick and easy, we often snag a couple of bags of that, and even throw one of the bags of dough in the freezer. So yes, if you have frozen dough, you could certainly use that – but as we suggest in the recipe, whether your dough is coming out of the refrigerator or the freezer, you want it to come to about room temperature before you try to work with it too much.
You definitely, definitely could also make your own homemade dough, which would be fantastic! Just weigh out one pound of dough or make a recipe that yields one pound of finished dough.
Lastly, you’re exactly right that many pizza shops are happy to sell their dough to customers, and many pizza shops even have whole grain doughs nowadays, too – if your pizzeria has dough available, that’s also a great option!
So, again – bottom line – whatever dough you’re able to make or purchase should be just fine.
Enjoy the grandkids and thanks so much for the great question!
😀 ~G&S
This would make such a great dish for a party or gathering – looks like a delicious crowd pleaser!
You’re so right, Steph! This pepperoni bread disappears FAST at parties! (Hint hint … if you want to be a real hero, you might wanna just make two! 😀 ) And hey – it’s so much fun, that even whipping it together on a busy weeknight can make any ol’ night FEEL like a party! Yay! ~G&S