Pizza Loaf
Yield: 4-6 servings
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Tips: Additional pizza ingredients such as olives, jalapenos, bell pepper, chopped peperoncinis, mushrooms and onions may be added, if desired.
Suggestion: Delicious served with a salad.
Ready to try the great flavors of pizza in a different form? Pizza Loaf features diced pepperoni, crumbled Italian sausage, grated mozzarella cheese and a generous helping of pizza sauce, all baked inside a fluffy easy-to-make pizza dough.
This recipe makes a 14-inch-long loaf that is not only delicious, it looks impressive! This loaf can be cut into as many slices as needed, and is great for a fun family dinner, kid's parties, family events or any other gathering.
Although this recipe calls for pepperoni and Italian sausage, you can customize this loaf by adding more of your favorite ingredients, such as sliced black or green olives, chopped onions, peperoncinis, jalapenos and/or green pepper, mushrooms, and the list goes on! If you prefer a vegetarian-style pizza, simply omit the meat and add your own personalselection of vegetables. Whatever you enjoy on a pizza, you can use in this Pizza Loaf. If you like extra sauce, add more sauce. If you like extra cheese, add more cheese. This is a fun recipe, so let yourself experiment and make this Pizza Loaf your own creation!
Although this recipe calls for pepperoni and Italian sausage, you can customize this loaf by adding more of your favorite ingredients, such as sliced black or green olives, chopped onions, peperoncinis, jalapenos and/or green pepper, mushrooms, and the list goes on! If you prefer a vegetarian-style pizza, simply omit the meat and add your own personalselection of vegetables. Whatever you enjoy on a pizza, you can use in this Pizza Loaf. If you like extra sauce, add more sauce. If you like extra cheese, add more cheese. This is a fun recipe, so let yourself experiment and make this Pizza Loaf your own creation!
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage
- 1 cup diced pepperoni
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup bottled pizza sauce
- 2 1/4 cups flour (plus more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package or 1 tablespoon bread yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned, breaking up into chunks while cooking. Pour off any drippings. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour water and melted butter into the well. Gradually mix with a fork until fully combined and there are no crumbs. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work area and begin kneading by folding dough into itself repeatedly while gently squeezing. If dough is too sticky to knead and gets stuck to your fingers, sprinkle a small additional amount of flour over dough and on work area while kneading. Continue sprinkling additional flour until dough no longer sticks to your hands but is still soft. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and all flour has been incorporated into dough.
Grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with some cornmeal. Roll dough into a 14" x 10" rectangle and transfer to baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce down the center third section of the dough, spreading to evenly cover. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese evenly over the pizza sauce. Sprinkle cooked sausage and diced pepperoni evenly over cheese. Top with remaining pizza sauce, then remaining 1 cup of cheese.
On outer third sections of dough, cut 1-inch-wide strips from edge of of filling out to dough edges. Alternating sides, lift one strip at a time and fold over top of filling at an angle, overlapping strips (try not to stretch dough).
Place a large shallow pan on counter and half fill it with boiling water (this will help dough rise more quickly). Place baking sheet on top of pan and cover meat loaf with a light-weight towel to prevent dough from drying out. Allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Brush top and sides of loaf with egg white (this creates a nice shine during baking process), then sprinkle with additional cornmeal. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly (about 1-2 minutes), then slice into individual servings and serve. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat to serve or eat cold.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned, breaking up into chunks while cooking. Pour off any drippings. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour water and melted butter into the well. Gradually mix with a fork until fully combined and there are no crumbs. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work area and begin kneading by folding dough into itself repeatedly while gently squeezing. If dough is too sticky to knead and gets stuck to your fingers, sprinkle a small additional amount of flour over dough and on work area while kneading. Continue sprinkling additional flour until dough no longer sticks to your hands but is still soft. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and all flour has been incorporated into dough.
Grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with some cornmeal. Roll dough into a 14" x 10" rectangle and transfer to baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce down the center third section of the dough, spreading to evenly cover. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese evenly over the pizza sauce. Sprinkle cooked sausage and diced pepperoni evenly over cheese. Top with remaining pizza sauce, then remaining 1 cup of cheese.
On outer third sections of dough, cut 1-inch-wide strips from edge of of filling out to dough edges. Alternating sides, lift one strip at a time and fold over top of filling at an angle, overlapping strips (try not to stretch dough).
Place a large shallow pan on counter and half fill it with boiling water (this will help dough rise more quickly). Place baking sheet on top of pan and cover meat loaf with a light-weight towel to prevent dough from drying out. Allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Brush top and sides of loaf with egg white (this creates a nice shine during baking process), then sprinkle with additional cornmeal. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly (about 1-2 minutes), then slice into individual servings and serve. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat to serve or eat cold.
