Watching people eat this Pepperoni Bread is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s like a once you pop you can’t stop kind of thing, so whenever I make this, it doesn’t stick around for long. This recipe also comes from my dear Aunt Kate’s arsenal of recipes. She is my Mom’s best friend and someone who my Mom credits for teaching her a lot about cooking during their younger days. We celebrate Christmas Eve at Aunt Kate’s every year, and I always find myself in the kitchen parked next to this Pepperoni Bread because it’s just that good. While my version will never taste like Kate’s, it will always bring back heartwarming memories of getting together during the holidays. Did I mention this is the perfect appetizer to make for Sunday football? I put this one together a whole day in advance and cooked it this week during the Monday night Redskins game, and it was gobbled up in minutes.
The song of the recipe is actually one of my originals. When I first played this song at one my shows, Kate told my Mom, “I really like the hold your horses song.” Ever since then, I think of Aunt Kate when I play this song live. So, enjoy listening to “Never Loved You That Much” while making this recipe, and you can thank Aunt Kate for making such a delicious treat.
- 1 pizza dough ball (Trader Joe's is my fave, but you can use whatever is accessible)
- ¼ pound provolone, sliced thick at the deli and cut into cubes
- 1 stick of pepperoni, sliced thin
- 10 basil leaves, torn
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Separate pizza dough into three equal parts.
- Roll out each piece to about ⅛ inch in thickness and into a long football-type shape.
- Arrange the pepperoni on each piece of dough with the diced provolone on top.
- Top with the torn basil.
- Carefully wrap the dough around all of the filling to form a rope-looking shape.
- Do this to all three pieces of the dough then transfer all three pieces to a sheet pan.
- While on the sheet pan, braid the dough, securing the dough at each end of the braid to ensure none of that delicious filling comes out.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
