Pepperoni Pizza Roll- A Family Recipe

When the kids were teenagers, I was always looking for ways to feed them healthy food.  I developed a secret weapon to keep them away from the school cafeteria- the pepperoni pizza roll.  My son actually wanted me to make huge quantities so he could sell it to his friends at school.  The perfect money maker- mom does all the work and he gets all the glory, and the cash!

Tomorrow, I'm travelling from Kelowna to Toronto for a visit with Alex, now, 29 years old.  I'll happily spend the day in his kitchen filling his freezer.  "Mom, remember that pizza roll you used to make us?", asks my son.  "Can you make lots for me when you're here?"  I guess this really is a family recipe... and I'll be packing my bread machine.  A culinary Mary Poppins!  He gets to keep the machine...

Basically, it's a pizza dough rolled around pizza ingredients and baked in the oven.  Great for lunch bags and snacks! I make this dough in my bread machine. Vary ingredients according to your tastes.  As a matter of fact, now that he's older, maybe I'll propose a more adult version.  Hummm- grilled peppers, grilled artichokes, olives... time to play!

This recipe will make approximately 12 slices.
Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1       cup water
1/4    cup olive oil

Filling
8     oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1     large egg, lightly beaten
1     tsp ground black pepper
6     oz pepperoni slices, cut into quarters
1/2  cup pizza sauce

Directions
For the Dough (using a bread machine- ok, I'm being lazy, but any manual, pizza dough recipe will do it )
Place all the ingredients in the machine, program for manual dough and press start.  About ten minutes before the end of the second knead, check the dough.  It should form a soft ball.

Finish the roll
When the machine finishes the cycle, remove the dough, punch it down, and roll it into a 26 x 18-inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, combine the mozzarella, Parmesan, beaten egg and pepper.  Spread the pizza sauce over the dough.  Top the cheese mixture evenly over the sauce, then sprinkle the pepperoni over all.

Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a log.  Transfer the log, seam side down, to a lightly greased 14-inch pizza pan, curving it into a horseshoe shape.  Tuck the ends over.  Or, transfer to a greased baking sheet.  Tent the dough with lightly greased plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until double in bulk.

Bake the roll in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove the roll from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let the roll cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.

WANNA PLAY?
Vary the cheeses- smoked cheddar, feta, smoked gouda, etc.
Omit the pepperoni for a vegetarian version.  Or vary the vegetables- artichoke, peppers, olives, spinach, kale, etc.

Enjoy!