My father-in-law is part Albanian, and one of his family recipes is to make a homemade bread called “Valya”.  He makes it about twice a year for everyone to enjoy.  It is a spicy bread made with lots of seasonings (paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper) and oils then rolled into a log (adding even more spices to coat the outside of the bread) and then cut into pinwheels. The dough is homemade, so you have to let it rise and that takes a little bit of time, but well worth the effort. Part of the fun of eating the Valya is unraveling it. The abundance of spices definitely gives this bread a kick. It’s a great tradition that reminds my husband that he is part Albanian descent (small percentage), and that is a delicious reminder! Here is his recipe:

1. You’ll need 1.5 – 2 lbs. of dough per roll, allow it to get to room temperature.
2. Roll it out very thin, use flour as needed.
3. Lightly salt the dough before adding other ingredients.
4. Heavily cover the entire surface area of the dough. (I think adding the olive oil first makes sense as the seasonings will stick to the dough better)
5. Add oregano
6. Add crushed red pepper
7. Add black pepper
8. Mix all ingredients well, adding more ingredients as needed.
9. Roll tightly
10. Twist the roll of dough and if necessary add excess oil, paprika, etc. to outside.
11. Lay in a spiral on a cookie tin and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
12. Let it cool and enjoy!

My Pepperoni Pinwheels (as seen pictured here) are a spin off of Valya, but a bit less labor intensive albeit very tasty! These are a great appetizer for the little ones. I make them extra spicy with lots of black pepper and paprika, but you can tone down the spice as well.  With that said, you can also spice it up with a little crushed red pepper flakes.  If you don’t eat meat, just skip the pepperoni.  Either way you choose to make these they are delicious!!!!!!! A must try appetizer for your next family gathering.  Add this app to your recipe roster!