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Red Bell Pepper Tomato Rolls

A vegetarian take on West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls with roasted red bell peppers or capsicum and oven dried tomatoes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course breads
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry or instant yeast
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 40 gm unsalted butter soft at room temperature
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 medium red bell peppers/ capsicum
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes or to taste
  • 1 1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
  • Oven or sun dried tomatoes
  • Col milk to brush on dough
  • 2 tbsp sesame or Nigella seeds optional

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve the 1/2 teaspoon sugar in the 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 5-10 minutes until yeast 'blooms'.
  • You can knead the dough by hand or machine. Put the flour, bloomed yeast, sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl. Add enough water and knead till you have a soft and elastic dough. Shape the dough into a ball.
  • Lightly oil a large bowl and then place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover loosely and let rise till double in volume. This should take about 1 1/2 hours.
  • Prepare the filling while the dough rises. Brush the red bell peppers with oil. Roast them over an open flame till most of the skin has charred uniformly. Allow them to cool. Then peel off the charred skin and cut them into long somewhat thick pieces and keep aside.
  • Heat the olive oil and add the garlic paste. Stir and turn off the heat. Stir in the crushed fennel seeds, mixed dried herbs and red chilli flakes. Let them steep while the oil cools down.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
  • Gently knead to deflate the risen dough. Divide into 6 equal portions. Shape into balls. Roll each ball out into an approximately 4x4-inch square. Brush a thin layer of the spiced oil on the surface, leaving the edges free.
  • Visualize the square of dough in two halves. In the centre of one half lay two strips of red bell pepper and a couple of pieces of dried tomato. Now fold the edge of the dough over the filling but to the centre. This will give you one covered half of dough and one uncovered half. Now repeat the same filling on the uncovered half and roll the covered part over this to cover it as well. See the video link in the story above to see how this is done. Tuck in the sides and pinch the dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  • Place the shaped logs/ rolls on a greased or parchment lined baking tray. Let them rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Brush them with cold milk and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake the rolls at 180C (350F) for about 20 minutes till they’re done and golden brown in colour. Cool till they’re warm enough to be eaten comfortably.