Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Pizza Bread

In our house we just love pizza.  And when we're craving it, this filled bread is the perfect thing to hit the spot.  When it's baking, the whole house smells like a pizzeria, but once it's done, we can each grab a slice of bread and be satisfied!


Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 oz = 2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
4 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups flour (can use bread flour if you have it or AP if you don't)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 teaspoons pizza sauce (more if you want to use for dipping)
3/4 cup pepperoni, chopped (or I used the mini's)
1 cup Italian blend (Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provolone) shredded cheese
(if you want to add a couple tablespoons of veggies like onions or olives or mushrooms, feel free to do so)

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in honey and milk powder until well blended.  In a small bowl, combine 1 cup flour, whole wheat flour and seasonings.  Add to yeast mixture; beat until smooth.  Stir in pizza sauce.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll out into a 14x12 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle pepperoni and all but 1/4 cup of the cheese (and the veggies) onto the dough to within about an inch of the edges.  Starting from one of the long sides, roll up jelly roll style; pinch seam to seal and tuck ends under.  Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of bread and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from pan to a wire rack.  Slice and serve warm.  You can even dip into pizza sauce if desired.  Refrigerate leftovers.  Yield: 1 loaf.

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