Pepperoni Rolls

1. To make the dough, fill a Pyrex measuring cup with 1 Cup hot water from the tap, then place it in the microwave and heat it for 2 minutes. This will get it boiling.
2. In a separate cup dissolve the yeast in 1/3 Cup of warm water. It doesn’t need to start to bubble up here, just to dissolve.
3. In your stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) mash the sugar, salt and shortening together with a fork. You want it to be well incorporated.
4. Pour the boiling hot water over the shortening mixture. Then pour the cold water over it. Finally, pour the yeast/water mixture in.
5. Add the flour into this mixture 1 Cup at a time, while mixing. You know you have enough flour when the dough scrapes the sides of the bowl clean. You want to be sure to have enough flour here. Don’t let the dough be too sticky.
6. Once you have enough flour, let it mix for about 8 minutes. The dough should have a nice elasticity to it.
7. After the dough has mixed enough, separate it into 6 equal parts and let it rest for 5 minutes on a sprayed cookie sheet.
8. Spread each piece of dough out into a rectangle. You can see from the picture, they don’t need to be a perfect rectangle. Who wants to try and be perfect? Not me.
9. Lay out some of the pepperoni into the middle of each rectangle.
10. Sprinkle about 1 Cup worth of cheese mixture over the top of each.
11. Roll it up!
12. Be sure that the dough gets wrapped around the pepperoni and cheese well, or it will all leak out.
13. Place the seam side of each roll down and tuck in the edges and ends.
14. Whisk your egg up until it is frothy.
15. Spray a knife with cooking spray and then cut some slits in the top of each little roll.
16. Slather the egg wash all over the tops and sides of the loaves.
17. Grind the seasoning over the top.
18. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, or until the tops are starting to get golden brown. Turn the oven down to 350 and cook for another 8 minutes. (Or, if you have a convection oven, cook at 375 for 7 minutes and then 325 for about 5 minutes.)
19. Let the rolls rest for about 5 minutes before you cut into them. Enjoy!