Frozen bread dough provides the most incredible base for these Pull Apart Pepperoni Bread Sticks. The dough is slathered with butter, sprinkled generously with cheese, topped with pepperoni slices, then twisted into glorious twists of cheesy pepperoni goodness. Serve them hot straight from the oven with a side of warm pizza sauce for dipping and it turns snack time into party time.
I truly love making sweet and savory baked goods from scratch. It’s therapeutic in many ways and allows me me to focus on the task at hand and the satisfaction of creating something delicious from the ground up. Some days, life just doesn’t allow the luxury of having the time and patience to do so. Frozen pizza dough is a fantastic alternative as it allows you to get on with the preparation and in turn satisfy your hungry eaters more quickly. While these bread sticks require some assembly, just follow the step-by-step pictures and you’ll have it down in no-time.
Don’t dare serve them without plenty of warm pizza sauce on the side for dipping and any leftovers will reheat beautifully, as well. It’s one of those “shareable” treats that always gets the party started.
Pull Apart Pepperoni Bread Sticks
Ingredients
- 2 8 inch loaves frozen bread dough, thawed but still cold (i.e. Rhodes)
- 2 Tbsp butter melted and divided
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 3/4 tsp garlic salt divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 30 slices pepperoni May use more if desired
- 1/4 tsp dry Italian seasoning
- 2 cups warm pizza sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Thaw the bread in the refrigerator covered per the package instructions. Cut each loaf into 9 pieces.
- Lay the pieces side by side and press together to form roughly [2 ] 10 x 16 inch rectangles.
- Brush the entire surface of each rectangle with melted butter. Sprinkle each side with 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, and ¼ tsp garlic salt..
- Sprinkle one piece with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange pepperoni slices over the cheese then sprinkle with another 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with the second piece of dough to form the top. Press the edges to seal.
- Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut from top to bottom through the middle.
- Next, cut the dough crosswise into approximate 1-inches thick strips.. Separate the pieces and twist. Tuck any loose pieces of cheese into the dough.
- Arrange the twists side by side in a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Brush the tops with remaining butter.
- Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp garlic salt, dry Italian seasoning and remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap, then bake the bread twists for 25-35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Pull apart and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Cheryl Newton says
Hello, Melissa,
This recipe needs to be in my recipe binders. Well, to clarify, it will go in only 1 of them. I think I have 13. Yikes! Anyway, call me lazy, but could I just take each loaf of dough and press it into a rectangle, skipping the cutting into pieces and joining those?
Thanks,
Cheryl
Melissa says
If you like but, it’s harder to do because the dough is pretty elastic hence the reason I do it this way, it makes it easier to shape.
Cheryl Newton says
I figured you had a good reason for doing it the way you do! Thanks for the speedy reply.
Melissa says
Always, if I include it as a step it’s because it’s the best way to do it usually based on my own trial and error. Happy to help!