Pizza in a loaf of bread

I came home the other day and was hungry. I had the makings of pizza, but was in an experimental mood. I decided to mix everything up and came up with a kicked up version of my sausage bread.

I figure a pizza tastes good with the dough, sauce, meat and cheese, so if we change it around and put the meat and cheese on the inside and the bread on the outside and pour sauce all over it, it’ll still be good, right?

Filling

Olive oil

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Fresh ground white pepper

Bread

4 cups flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tbs. instant yeast

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups water, approximate

Sauce

Olive oil

2 shallots minced fine

3 cloves garlic, minced fine

1/2 cup white wine

1 tsp. marjoram

1 tsp. basil

Cajun seasoning

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

Preparation

In a mixer bowl, add the flour, sugar, yeast, olive oil and salt. Start adding water (just slightly warm) with the mixer going until it all comes together. Adjust by adding more flour or water as needed. Knead the dough and let it rise.

Heat a large skillet and add a little olive oil and then add the sausage. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until it looses its pink color. Add the garlic, onions and bell pepper. Stir and cook until the sausage is browned and the onions and peppers have softened. Sprinkle on some white pepper and set it aside to cool.

Heat a sauce pan and add some olive oil and then add the shallots and garlic. Stir and gently let those sweat down, without browning them. Add the white wine, marjoram and basil and bring the wine to a boil. Let it reduce by half and then add the can of crushed tomatoes. When the sauce is simmering, taste and adjust seasoning with some cajun seasoning. Let the sauce simmer about ten minutes, and then keep warm.

After the bread dough has risen, knead it for a couple of minutes and divide it in half. Shape one half into a loaf and bake it into bread for tomorrow’s breakfast. 

Take the other half and roll it out into a large oval. Place the sausage mixture on the dough, leaving the outer inch uncovered. Add the shredded cheese evenly over the sausage. Sprinkle on a little more white pepper. Carefully roll up the bread dough like a carpet and place it in a bread pan which has been sprayed with some cooking spray. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake the bread at 380º about a half hour or until it is golden brown on top. Let it rest ten minutes until slicing.

Serving

Slice the bread and place several slices on a plate. Top the bread with lots of sauce and then grate some parmesan cheese over it. Now add some sautéed broccoli next to it. All you need now is a bowl of soup and a salad to start your meal and then a bottle of my favorite everyday wine, Montepulciano dʼAbruzzo. I don’t know about you, but I’d go back for several more helpings.