Pepperoni Bread Recipe

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Whether you call it pepperoni bread, pepperoni roll, pizza bread or something in between, this is a delicious homemade pepperoni bread recipe that you are going to love. It’s great for entertaining. You will look for any excuse to make it again and again!

rolled up pizza appetizer on a serving tray

I’m coming at you with another family recipe today. This is a good one, friends – you’re in for a treat.

This pepperoni bread recipe comes from my dad’s wife, Michelle. She has been making it for years and years. It is pretty much a staple at any family get-together.

It’s one of those things that everyone loves, and literally, within minutes of her putting down the plate of this deliciousness, it is GONE.

two pieces of pizza bread on a small plate
pepperoni bread cut up into sliced rolls

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

What I love about this recipe is that you only need a few things to put it together, it’s pretty easy to whip up, and the flavor is just SO GOOD.

What makes it so good? Well, it’s basically bread wrapped around cheese and pepperoni, so what’s not to love? However, when I made this recipe for the first time, I discovered the powerhouse ingredient is white American cheese.

Maybe I never had white American cheese on its own before, but I realize now that it is loaded with a creamy, rich, tangy flavor. This kind of cheese is sooo good.

Recently, I gave some of this pepperoni bread to my friend because I needed to get it out of the house for fear of eating it all. She loved it and specifically asked what kind of cheese I used because it’s that good.

So when you make this recipe, be sure to stop by the deli and get freshly cut cheese and pepperoni for the best results.

pizza style snack rolls on a tray
easy pepperoni pizza bread on a platter

Ingredients

You could almost call this a shortcut bread recipe because we used frozen bread dough. It saves us time and still tastes delicious!

Here is what I used in this pepperoni bread recipe:

  • frozen white bread dough
  • deli pepperoni
  • white American cheese
  • provolone
  • extra virgin olive oil
pepperoni pizza bread pinterest image

How to Make

I’ll walk you through the steps to make this pepperoni bread here. I’ve also included a printable recipe card below for a full rundown of the recipe ingredients and instructions.

  1. Begin by spraying a large sheet pan with cooking spray. Place the frozen loaves onto the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
  2. Set in a warm area and allow to thaw and rise until the loaves have about doubled in size.
frozen white loaves thawing on a pan
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough loaf into an 18-inch circle.
two circles of bread dough rolled out on a floured surface
  1. Top with a layer of pepperoni, then a layer of provolone, another layer of pepperoni, and finish with a layer of white American cheese. Each loaf will use roughly 1/4 pound each of provolone, pepperoni, and white American cheese.
sliced cheese and cured meat on rolled out dough
rolling up dough around pepperoni and cheese
  1. Starting at one end, roll up into a loaf. Tuck in the sides as you roll. Seal the seam and ends securely using a bit of water to make the dough stick.
pizza toppings rolled up inside of white bread dough
two loaves baked dough
  1. Place both loaves back onto your greased sheet pan with the seam side down. Brush the loaves with olive oil and then bake for about 30 minutes. The loaves should be lightly browned.

This pepperoni bread can be served warm or at room temperature. If serving warm, allow the loaves to cool slightly before slicing with a serrated knife.

close up of pizza bread with no sauce

How to Serve

Serve this bread with pizza or pasta sauce for dipping.

We eat it without. However, if you have the desire to dip this pizza bread into some tomato/pizza/pasta sauce, you go right ahead.

Personally, I don’t think it needs any sauce, and thus you could avoid the mess of ending up with sauce everywhere, but you do you!

white american cheese and pepperoni bread

Recipe Tools

Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:

pizza toppings baked inside of white bread

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions people often ask about homemade pepperoni bread. If you don’t see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.

Is pepperoni bread the same as a pepperoni roll?

Pepperoni rolls are a classic type of food invented in West Virginia. They are basically white bread rolls that were stuffed with pepperoni before being baked. Some pepperoni rolls in West Virginia have cheese, but the traditional ones didn’t because they were given to coal miners for their lunch (and they had to stay fresh).

If we formed this bread into palm-sized rolls, then they would definitely be closer to West Virginia pepperoni rolls. But, since we made entire loaves, I call it pepperoni bread.

How do you store pepperoni bread?

Since I used cheese in this bread, you will need to store it in the refrigerator. Keep it in an airtight food storage bag so that it doesn’t go stale. When properly stored, the bread will last about a week in the refrigerator.

Can I make this without cheese?

I’ve already shared about how much I love the white cheese in this dough, but if you are lactose intolerant or prefer to avoid cheese, you can still make this dish. Yes, pepperoni bread will taste delicious without the cheese too. In fact, that is how the coal miners made theirs back almost 100 years ago.

Is pizza dough and bread dough the same thing?

They are very similar, and you could use them in place of each other in this recipe, but there are some minute differences. They both have the same essential ingredients, but there is usually a bit more yeast in bread dough.

Pizza dough won’t have the same airy or light consistency if you roll it up into a bread loaf.

pepperoni pizza bread on a white platter

This pizza bread has become a family favorite. It’s so easy to make and the flavor is wonderfully delicious!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Happy Baking!

close up of pepperoni and cheese roll up

More Appetizer Recipes You May Enjoy

I hope you’ll try baking up this delicious pepperoni bread. If you do, please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below. 

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pepperoni bread stacked on a white plate.

Pepperoni Bread

Whether you call it Pizza Bread, Pepperoni Bread, Pepperoni Roll, or something in between, this is a delicious homemade pizza-inspired bread recipe that you are going to love. You will look for any excuse to make it again and again!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: pepperoni, pepperoni bread, pepperoni roll, pizza, pizza bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 260kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 loaves frozen white bread (I recommend Rhodes)
  • 1/2 pound sliced deli pepperoni
  • 1/2 pound sliced deli white American cheese
  • 1/2 pound sliced deli provolone
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • cooking spray and flour to prep bread dough

Instructions

  • Begin by spraying a large sheet pan with cooking spray. Place the frozen loaves onto the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Set in a warm area and allow to thaw and rise until the loaves have about doubled in size.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll out each dough loaf into an 18-inch circle.
  • Top with a layer of pepperoni, then a layer of provolone, another layer of pepperoni, and finish with a layer of white American cheese. (Each loaf will use roughly 1/4 a pound each of provolone, pepperoni, and white American cheese.)
  • Starting at one end, roll up into a loaf. Tuck in the sides as you roll. Seal the seam and ends securely using a bit of water to make the dough stick.
  • Place both loaves back onto your greased sheet pan with the seam side down. Brush the loaves with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes. The loaves should be lightly browned.
  • This pizza bread can be served warm or at room temperature. If serving warm, allow the loaves to cool slightly before slicing with a serrated knife.
  • Optional: Serve with pizza or pasta sauce for dipping.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Rating




23 Comments

  1. I have never heard of pepperoni bread until yesterday and it was already made and I bought some and let me tell you it’s great and now I will be making it myself it’s that good and I am finishing off my loaf today. I can’t wait to mit my self m mmmmm good

  2. So, freaking good. I made this one with pepper jack and also used melted butter. It was amazing. This is defiantly a keeper. Thank you

  3. Late to the game here, but wanted to reply about folks not finding white American cheese in Arizona.
    I’ve seen it in the deli sections in multiple grocery stores. I just saw it at Sprouts yesterday, too! 🙂
    Trying the recipe next week for a party
    and I’m sure it’ll be as great as it looks!

  4. Another Canadian here who can’t get white American cheese. Has any Canadian tried a substitute? I wonder about putting a layer of pizza sauce on the bread before layering?

    1. i make pepperoni bread all the time and always freeze it the extra loaf. just give it enough time to thaw.
      I will try the provolone and American cheese combo next time it sounds good

  5. Did you know white American cheese isn’t available everywhere? I haven’t had any sine I left St. Marys in 1976!! I first moved to California and am now in Arizona. There’s no white American cheese to be found in either state. It must be a Pennsylvania thing. My current neighbors moved to PA from Illinois and they never had or heard of white American until they got to PA. (They’re now in Arizona). Any suggestions for a substitute? Jack cheese maybe?

    1. Hmmm. I’m not sure. Have you tried the deli counter? Maybe they could order it in for you. The one I got was Landolakes which I assume could be available nationwide? So strange.

      xo Michael

  6. Will definitely try this bread. I tried your ramen noodle salad. Was addictive. Have made twice and given recipe out to many. Thanks so much. Now will try this bread but won’t be able to get white American cheese.as in Canada so would I use mozzarella or ?

    1. Well, it’s a pepperoni based bread, so I’d suggest a different recipe as the pepperoni is quite important in this one.

      xo Michael

    1. You can try whatever you’d like, but this is the combination we love and that I recommend. I definitely wouldn’t go with ricotta.

      xo Michael