2008 January 24 | Chickens in the Road

Archive for January 24th, 2008

Jan
24

Main Dishes, The Farmhouse Table

They have weird food here. But every time I try one of these weird things they do in the country, I like it. Like ramps. I admit, I like ramps. They are pungent!!! But they were actually, shockingly, good. You can read about my ramps adventure here. And then there were the Fried Bologna Sandwiches. You might as well have suggested I put ketchup on Oreos when I first heard about that, but I found out I liked it. And now….pepperoni rolls. Everywhere, they sell pepperoni rolls. So I had to try that, too. (Seriously, if you told me to jump off a cliff, I’d probably do it! I think I have to try stuff!) I found I liked pepperoni rolls, too, only…. There just wasn’t enough stuff. Enough pepperoni. Enough cheese. Enough sauce. Solution? Make my own!

Now this is a pepperoni roll.
And then I figured out that you could make all sorts of stuff this way and that they were pretty much like Hot Pockets. And there is nothing they can package up and sell at the grocery store that you can’t make better at home.

How to make Homemade Hot Pockets:

Start with the basic Hot, Crusty French Bread recipe, using the Italian bread variation, doubled for a dozen Homemade Hot Pockets.

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 package yeast
(rapid-rise recommended)
2 cups warm water
salt to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine water with yeast, salt, and oil. Let sit for five minutes. Stir in flour until the dough is stiff enough to knead. (Add flour a little at a time. Six cups flour is approximate; exact amount may vary.) Knead dough until smooth and elastic-a few minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover. Let rise until doubled.

Now it’s time to turn this into pepperoni rolls-all you need is a package of sliced pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Divide dough into four parts and one portion at a time, roll into a 6-inch by 12-inch rectangle. To make three pepperoni roll Homemade Hot Pockets per portion, start with two teaspoons of sauce, spread in three parts across the rectangle of dough. Leave a space between where you will cut the rolls apart. Add pepperoni slices and mozzarella cheese.

Cut rolls apart with a knife, roll up, pinch ends and edges to seal. Once packed and rolled, place on a greased baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes (till nicely browned) in a 375-degree oven. Let cool on a wire rack.

You can use anything for Homemade Hot Pockets. Ham and swiss! Bacon and cheddar! Roast beef and provolone! Add sauteed vegetables, or use vegetables alone for a veggie hot pocket. You can use a couple teaspoons of sour cream instead of spaghetti sauce for different flavors. The possibilities are endless for a perfect grab-and-go sandwich!

Store them in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer to grab whenever you need one. Reheat in the microwave for a minute.

They’re so good…..

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