Pepperoni Cheese Bread

This pepperoni cheese bread was really, really good – I’m not going to lie. I surprised myself with this… sometimes when you make up bread recipes, you never really know how it’s going to turn out. Well this turned out delicious!

I had leftover pepperoni and mozzarella, and didn’t want to make pizza again, so I thought a buttery, garlic cheese-pepperoni bread sounded good.

This was a huge loaf. I thought, no way can Eric and I eat all of this. But we manage.

I made a pretty basic yeast dough (flour, yeast, butter, sugar, salt, flour), rolled it out, brushed it with melted butter, garlic, and herbs, and topped it with pepperoni slices and grated mozzarella. The bread was rolled up, proofed, and sprinkled with additional pepperoni and cheese before baking. I think I might use the dough recipe for other recipes; it would work well for cinnamon rolls and other breads.

Amazing! And fun to make, too. I love crispy brown cheese! Do you?

Ingredients:

Makes 1 large loaf

• 1 cup warm water (not hot!);
• 1 packet active dry yeast;
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 1/4 cups (about 275 grams);
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar;
• 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided use;
• 3/4 teaspoon salt;
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (I used whole milk), divided use;
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs;
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder;
• 1/2 (7 oz. package) a package pepperoni, divided use;
• Egg wash (optional).

Directions:

1. Stir together water, yeast, and 1/2 cup flour until combined. Set aside for 30 minutes, until yeast is activated.
2. Stir in remaining flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and salt until combined. Knead dough on a floured surface (adding a little flour if dough is too sticky) until elastic and smooth – about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 16×10-inch rectangle. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter (save some for the top of loaf). Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over dough; top with herbs, garlic powder and pepperoni (save a few pepperoni for the top). Roll up dough, like a cinnamon roll, and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush remaining melted butter on top of loaf. Brush with egg wash for shine, if desired. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and proof 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Top dough with remaining pepperoni and remaining cheese. Bake 40 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cover loaf with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.