Pepperoni Bundt Bread

Last week I did my Standard-Examiner column on using Bundt pans to make wreath-shaped goodies like cakes and cinnamon pull-aparts for the holidays. But you can also make do savory pull-aparts instead of sweet.

The fluted Bundt pan, with hole in the middle was invented in Minneapolis in 1946. But it was relatively obscure until the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off, when contestant Ella Rita Helfrich used it to make her prize-winning Tunnel of Fudge Cake. That started the Bundt boom. Nordic Ware, the company that trademarked the pan, had to make Bundt pans around the clock, seven days a week, to meet the demand.

Although they’re not as popular today, many households still have a Bundt pan lurking somewhere in their kitchen cabinets.

Pull-apart breads are pretty easy to do, using your own bread dough recipe, or frozen Rhodes rolls. You cut the rolls in halves or thirds, and place them in the Bundt pan, layering them with flavorings such as cinnamon and sugar, or butterscotch pudding mix.

But you can also go for a wreath with savory flavors. It’s the same idea, cutting the rolls in halves or thirds, and then layering them with butter, pepperoni, Italian herbs, garlic and onions.  Let it rise and bake.

Let it cool for at least a half-hour, and then invert it. Serve it with a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping. For a holiday touch, you can add a bow made of green onions. It’s a fun appetizer, any time of the year.

PEPPERONI BUNDT BREAD

Nonstick cooking spray

18 frozen uncooked rolls, thawed but still cold (Rhodes rolls work well; if making your own dough, make enough for 1 large loaf of bread)

1 cube butter, melted

1 bunch of green onions, divided

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves) or garlic powder

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mini round pepperoni (or regular-size pepperoni, chopped into pieces)

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan or mozzarella

2 to 3 cups prepared marinara sauce for dipping

Spray the pan thoroughly with nonstick spray, or coat with oil or butter. While the rolls are thawing, melt the butter in measuring cup. Chop up enough green onion (including the white parts) for 2 tablespoons. Reserve the remaining green onion stalks. Mix the chopped green onion, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary and salt with the melted butter.

Cut each of the dough pieces in half.

Place a layer of roll pieces (about 12) on the bottom. Spoon about 1/4 of the butter mixture evenly over the rolls, and evenly sprinkle 1/4 cup of the pepperoni and 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmesan or mozzarella, if using. Add another layer of rolls (about 12) and spoon about 1/3 cup of the butter mixture evenly over the rolls, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the pepperoni, and the 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmesan or mozzarella.  Place the last 12 pieces around the bundt pan, and spoon the remaining butter mixture and 2-3 tablespoons of cheese over the top.

Set the pan in a warm, humid area, (such as an unused microwave), or cover the top with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven. Set the pan on a lower-middle rack, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the top of the rolls are browned.  Remove from the oven and cool for at leastt 30 minutes before inverting on a plate.

To make the green-onion bow, trim off the white ends of the remaining bunch of green onion. Secure them in the middle with a rubber band. Tie one green onion strand around the rubber band to camouflage it.

Use kitchen shears to cut lengthwise up each strip of green onion to make strands.  Place the bow in a bowl of cold water while the pull-aparts are baking, so that the strands will open up and curl. Then let it drain on a paper towel to dry.

After removing the bread from the oven, remove the wreath from the water and place on a paper towel to dry. Let the bread cool for about 30 minutes, then use a spatula or butter knife to gently loosen the bread from the sides of the pan, if they appear to be stuck. Invert the pan over a platter, and place the “onion bow” on top.