In the state of West Virginia, the pepperoni roll is a staple and tradition. This article will give you a glimpse of the origins and history of the delicious pepperoni roll, as well as tell you how to make your own!
What is a pepperoni roll?
As a blogger who is blogging on everything in West Virginia, it was inevitable that a pepperoni Roll article would be born. If you hail from the great state of West Virginia then you already know what a pepperoni Roll is, but do you know where and how it originated? This article will offer a closer look at the origin and history of the pepperoni roll, along with some fun facts and even a recipe, mainly for those unfortunate enough to live outside our borders.
If you live outside of West Virginia then you may be wondering just what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks a pepperoni roll even is! Well fret not, my friend, because I’m going to tell you, and if you’re lucky I may even tell you how to make some of these delicious West Virginia delicacies. Actually, I will tell you at the end of this article, but please don’t share the recipe with any Pitt Panther fans. Most West Virginians are WVU fans, and we prefer that Pitt eat something much less delicious than a pepperoni roll. I’ll leave it at that.
So, what is a pepperoni roll? Well, it’s a roll with pepperoni in it. Even though that was an attempt at sarcastic humor, it is an accurate statement nonetheless. A broader explanation of what the pepperoni roll Is would be as follows: The pepperoni roll Is an Italian-American stuffed bread roll. What is it stuffed with? You probably guessed it, but it’s pepperoni if you haven’t yet made the connection. They’re much better with cheese in them, but that’s just my own personal opinion, and I certainly have a lot of those. I’m guessing that people stuff them with lots of different things, to their own liking, but pepperoni is the key ingredient. I’ve personally observed them with cheese, onions, peppers, pizza sauce, and even ramps. If you’re asking what ramps are, I’ll do an article on them soon.
Origin Of The Peoperoni Roll
The pepperoni roll was born in 1927 in Fairmont, West Virginia. It was fathered by a man named Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro. Giuseppe was a brilliant man in my opinion because he concluded that bread is very good, and pepperoni is delicious, but if I squash them both together it will be nothing short of amazing. His way of thinking was very similar to that of Harry Burnett (H.B.) Reese, who one year later in 1928 would put peanut butter in some chocolate to form the REESE’S peanut butter cup.
The first pepperoni roll was sold at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia in 1927 as a lunch option for coal miners in North-Central West Virginia. The pepperoni roll was portable, needed no refrigeration, and was packed with enough calories to fuel the hard-working West Virginia coal miner, therefore being the perfect lunch item.
Today the pepperoni roll is the official food of West Virginia and is a mountain state staple found in restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and kitchens all over the state. If you ever attend a West Virginia Mountaineers football Game at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia, you will certainly find them there too.
Pepperoni Roll Legal issues
In 1987 the pepperoni roll faced legal challenges from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) when the USDA attempted to reclassify bakeries that manufactured pepperoni rolls as meat processing plants. If successful, the proposal would have imposed stricter regulations on the bakeries. The bakery owners argued that the cost of these regulations would put them out of business. Luckily for the pastry roll lovers and the bakeries who manufactured them, U.S. Senator for West Virginia, Jay Rockefeller, intervened and the proposal was squashed.
Military use of the pepperoni roll
The United States military also jumped aboard the pepperoni roll bandwagon in the early 2000s by introducing pepperoni rolls to troops by way of MREs (Meals, Ready-To-Eat). In the late 2000s, the roll was only to be included in first-strike rations, which are designs for light infantry, airborne, and special forces during a typical 72-hour patrol. These rations were used extensively during Operation Enduring Freedom during the war in Afghanistan.
How to make pepperoni rolls
Now, as promised, I will gift you the ability to concoct the legendary pepperoni roll, but use it wisely. I will assume no responsibility for your pepperoni roll addiction!
Ingredients
12 frozen dinner roll dough balls (such as Rhodes), thawed (from 1 [48-oz.] pkg.)
24 (3-in.) slices sandwich-style pepperoni (such as Boar’s Head) (from 2 [4-oz.] pkg.)
- 5 oz. thinly sliced mozzarella cheese (about 7 slices) (from 1 [8-oz.] pkg.)
- 4 Tbsp. salted butter, melted, divided
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp. salt
Directions
- Prepare oven and pan:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. - Make rolls:
Working in batches as needed, pat or roll each dough ball on a large piece of wax or parchment paper into a 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch round. (Try not to flour dough surface; it could keep dough from sealing.) Place 2 pepperoni slices in middle of each dough round. Tear cheese into pieces, and arrange evenly over pepperoni. Roll up dough jellyroll style; pinch ends and seams well to seal. - Bake rolls:
Arrange dough, seam side down, 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush 2 tablespoons of the butter evenly over rolls. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. - Brush on butter mixture:
Stir together garlic powder, oregano, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl until combined. Immediately brush butter mixture evenly over warm rolls. Serve immediately.
How To Serve Pepperoni Rolls
These pastries are excellent on their own, warm from the oven with the garlic-herb buttery swipe. But if you wanted to make this a little more presentation worthy, consider warming up some jarred marinara sauce and serving it as a dip for the rolls.
How To Store Pepperoni Rolls
If you have any leftovers, pop them into an airtight container or ziplock bag, and put them in the fridge. They’ll last up to 5 days in the fridge, and you can reheat them easily in the microwave.
Pepperoni rolls can also be frozen. Place any rolls in a ziplock bag, label and date the bag, and store the rolls in the fridge up to 3 months. You can warm a pepperoni roll right from frozen in the microwave, toaster, or air fryer, or leave a roll on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes to thaw.
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