Boiling Point: Pepperoni rolls a classic comfort food

Pepperoni rolls once were a lunch-bucket staple. A steelworker probably could eat four or five of them at a sitting.

Mama would wrap some pepperoni sticks with leftover bread dough and bake them just right (soft and chewy). They were perfect one-hand sandwiches, self-contained and a welcome change from lunchmeat and peanut butter.

They're best eaten within two days of baking, but they rarely last even that long.

The rolls need to be soft, and that can be difficult with many roll recipes.

An easy and quick way around this is to use frozen roll dough. It's one of the few times that prepared beats from scratch.

Another must is to avoid using pepperoni thin sliced for pizza. They're too wimpy. Buy a whole pepperoni roll and slice it into sticks three inches long and a half-inch wide.

Separate the frozen dough on a cookie sheet. Cover with greased wax paper or plastic wrap and a fresh dish towel. Place in a warm area to rise.

Then press two pepperoni pieces into each, wrapping the dough around them. Let rise again.

Bake the rolls according to the package directions, usually 9 minutes at 350 degrees. If using your own dough, it will be 25 to 35 minutes.

For pizza rolls, sprinkle the bread with oregano or basil and add a layer of provolone cheese. Grated parmesan or roman cheese is good as a topping.

All of these are excellent warmed in the microwave or eaten cold.

Send food questions to jim.hillibish@cantonrep.com