loveysoven

K, who is my recipe-taster/’work mom’/wedding baker/kitchen mentor/wonderful friend, has been tormenting me with these tasty delights for years.  I feel like I’m always asking her for the recipe, and recently when I was organizing my recipe book, I realized I was right.  I had not one, not two, but FOUR copies tucked inside.  K has the patience of a saint.  According to the official photocopy, these are called Tunnel Rolls, but for some reason mrslovey keeps trying to substitute other multi-syllabic words ‘T’ words, so in our house they’re now called Tornados.   Looking at the fine print, they’re another one-hit wonder from the world of recipe card mailings.  

The Tornados are like do-it-yourself Hot Pockets, but without all the chemicals and preservatives.  You can bake them, let them cool completely, and then wrap them in foil and toss in the freezer for lunch at a later date.  I also like that even though these get all big and puffy, there is no rise time.  You just make the dough, fill, roll, and bake.  You can also use frozen bread dough that’s been thawed.  Now that we’ve made these by the book the first time, we’re excited to try all different flavor combinations.  Maybe pear/turkey/brie, italian sausage and mozzarella, or something sweet like apples and cheddar.  The possibilities are endless!

TORNADOS

3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup hot water (120-130 degrees)

16 slices each of hard salami, pepperoni, provolone

1 egg, beaten

grated cheese

italian seasoning

• Heat oven to 375F.
• Combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Add oil and water, mix well.  Gradually add 2 to 2 1/2 cups more flour until you have a soft dough.  Knead for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle.  (I found it easiest to do 2 at a time, didn’t have room to roll all 8 out at once)
• On each rectangle, place two slices each of the salami, provolone, and pepperoni.
• Roll up (we have much debate on if you should roll from teh short side or the long side.  You should do whatever’s best for you) and make sure seam is sealed tight and the ends are pinched shut.  Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Once you have them all on the sheet, brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with grated cheese and italian seasoning.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• That’s it, easy peasy!