I was making a copycat recipe for Double Dave's pepperoni rolls yesterday.

Simple recipe, make pizza dough, break it into 12 little balls, flatten, fill with pepperoni and cheese, roll up, put on tray, bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

While making the pizza dough, I took the time to put the yeast, sugar,and water together, and let it proof. After mixing the dough, I put it in a bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours.

When I checked on it after 1.5 hours, it hadn't risen very much.

I took the dough, made the rolls, and baked it anyway, it came out solid.

I then followed a recipe online for making dinner rolls. This recipe called for whisking the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, sugar, salt) before putting in the wet ingredients (warm water, butter, milk). I noticed after making this dough that it rose much better 1.5 hours later. I made the rolls, and they came out nicely.

Deciding I would try the pepperoni rolls again today, I made the dough again, but used the paddle attachment on the mixer to mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt first. I then added the oil and water. When I put the dough out to rise, it more than doubled in size in an hour.

I made the pepperoni rolls, and I'm happy to say that they taste exactly like Double Dave's version.

I am curious about the dough rising, though. Is there some argument for proofing the yeast in water with sugar before adding the other dry ingredients? Do most people mix their dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients? Does any part of this process make a difference on whether or not you get a good rise on your bread? Or was this just a coincidence?

I was using a new bottle of yeast I just bought the other day.

Same bottle I used on the dinner rolls and the second set of pepperoni rolls.

SACR said:

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I was making a copycat recipe for Double Dave's pepperoni rolls yesterday.

Simple recipe, make pizza dough, break it into 12 little balls, flatten, fill with pepperoni and cheese, roll up, put on tray, bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

While making the pizza dough, I took the time to put the yeast, sugar,and water together, and let it proof. After mixing the dough, I put it in a bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours.

When I checked on it after 1.5 hours, it hadn't risen very much.

I took the dough, made the rolls, and baked it anyway, it came out solid.

I then followed a recipe online for making dinner rolls. This recipe called for whisking the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, sugar, salt) before putting in the wet ingredients (warm water, butter, milk). I noticed after making this dough that it rose much better 1.5 hours later. I made the rolls, and they came out nicely.

Deciding I would try the pepperoni rolls again today, I made the dough again, but used the paddle attachment on the mixer to mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt first. I then added the oil and water. When I put the dough out to rise, it more than doubled in size in an hour.

I made the pepperoni rolls, and I'm happy to say that they taste exactly like Double Dave's version.

I am curious about the dough rising, though. Is there some argument for proofing the yeast in water with sugar before adding the other dry ingredients? Do most people mix their dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients? Does any part of this process make a difference on whether or not you get a good rise on your bread? Or was this just a coincidence?

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I suspect it's just that the faster rise comes from the versions where extra stirring sped up the rehydration and dispersion of the yeast.

I've had similar differences in dough rising using the same ingredients and I've decided that the temperature of the "warm" water has a lot to do with the rising. I've used water that was too hot and it didn't rise very well and I've used water that wasn't warm enough and it did the same.

I'm not baking expert though so I'm sure some of the folks on here will be more of a help.

This has been my experience many times. I haven't been able to pin point where I mess up, but getting my dough to rise is always the biggest unknown/frustration for me. Sometimes, I will just store it in an oven that I warmed up for about 5 minutes, and then turn the oven off and close the door. The warm oven seems to get it to rise a little better.

The sugar will feed the yeast to produce CO2 which causes the "rise". Too hot water kills the yeast, too cold will inhibit the chemical reactions.

And yes, mixing wet together then adding dry should be standard in just about all baking, and don't overmix once you've added the dry to the wet.

When I make my dough (in a mixer) it's always water first, then yeast and sugar, then flour, then oil. It's more complicated than that - but that's the general order of things. You add the oil last because it can prevent hydration of the flour and inhibit gluten development (or something like that). My dough is 3/4 kneaded before I add the oil.

And warm water will def help the yeast to get going quicker if you are aren't doing a long and cold ferment.

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When I make my dough (in a mixer) it's always water first, then yeast and sugar, then flour, then oil.

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This is what I did the first time, and ended yup with a dough that didn't rise much.

I'm making another batch of dough today, and using the second method again.

Will report my results later.

I also mix warm water, sugar and yeast together first then let it do its thing for 5-10 mins then add the oil last before mixing with the flour mixture.

Used the second method, got a perfect rise in an hour.

Can you post the recipe for your double dave rolls, in particukar the brrad? I'm over in Singapore and have been craving some pepperoni rolls, I tried making some in a pinch and they turned out all wrong.

Ingredients:

4 cups of bread flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup warm water

Bag of sliced pepperoni (I recommend Hormel)

1 lb bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

Garlic powder

Put flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. Put paddle attachment on mixer, mix dry ingredients on low for a few minutes. Slowly add in olive oil, then water. Let dough begin to incorporate for two minutes.

Remove paddle, put on dough hook. Mix on low for 8-10 minutes, until dough becomes a soft, pliant ball. If dough is still too wet, slowly sift in some more flour as it mixes. If it is too dry, add a little bit more water, a tablespoon at a time. The dough should have a sticky but light texture.

Remove dough from mixer, put in oiled bowl, leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

Punch down dough to let out air bubbles.

Put some flour on your hands and on cutting board/counter surface.

Take a small fist of dough, and rub it between your hands, making it into a dough ball similar in size to a large meatball. Flatten out dough ball on cutting board or counter, making a small disc. Put 5-6 slices of pepperoni on around disc, then cover with shredded mozzarella. Roll disc over onto itself one and a half times, folding the ends inside and pinching it closed. Placed seam side down on wax paper on a tray. Line up 12 rolls on each tray.

Sprinkle each roll with garlic powder for some extra seasoning.

Preheat oven to 550 degrees (or as high as it will go) while you make rolls.

There should be enough to easily make 24 pepperoni rolls.

Bake in over for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

Take out and serve with ranch dressing or marinara sauce.

(I've found that dabbing a light spoonful of pizza sauce on the pepperonis before you put on the mozzarella is also good, but not a requirement.)


ETA: If you can put the dough in the fridge for 48-72 hours and allow for a cold ferment, it does add a little texture and taste to the dough that is excellent. If you want it NOW, though, you can still use this recipe as is.

SACR said:

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Roll disc over onto itself one and a half times, folding the ends inside and pinching it closed.

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I'm stupid...please explain differently

agcrock2005 said:

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SACR said:

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Roll disc over onto itself one and a half times, folding the ends inside and pinching it closed.

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I'm stupid...please explain differently

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Think of rolling a jelly roll. You roll it over and over into itself.

It is almost like the opposite of rolling a burrito, where you folds the sides in and then roll it onto itself. Here, you're rolling it and then folding the ends in to cover the seam. You then pinch the seam closed and ends into it.

SACR said:

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agcrock2005 said:

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SACR said:

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Roll disc over onto itself one and a half times, folding the ends inside and pinching it closed.

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I'm stupid...please explain differently

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Think of rolling a jelly roll. You roll it over and over into itself.

It is almost like the opposite of rolling a burrito, where you folds the sides in and then roll it onto itself. Here, you're rolling it and then folding the ends in to cover the seam. You then pinch the seam closed and ends into it.

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Pretty sure you should do a video of it, or pictures of each process

I'm making pizza dough today for a pizza for Mother's Day.

If I make pizza rolls tomorrow, I will take some pictures or do a video.

SACR said:

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I'm making pizza dough today for a pizza for Mother's Day.

If I make pizza rolls tomorrow, I will take some pictures or do a video.

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Awesome. Thanks!

Pictures:



Disc with pepperoni and some fresh mozzarella. Experimenting with this versus shredded.



First fold.



One whole fold.



One and a half rolls.



Roll the end over.



Pinch the seams closed.



Place seam down on tray and sprinkle on garlic powder.



Finished product cut open.


Holy *****! Sorry about the image size.