Sausage & Pepper Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet italian sausage
• 3/4 cup chopped red pepper
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs, room temerature
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Recipe

• 1 cook sausage and pepper until sausage is brown breaking up the meat as you go along.
• 2 drain and set aside to cool.
• 3 pour warm water into large bowl, stir in yeast until dissolved.
• 4 proof 10 minutes.
• 5 add sugar, salt, seasoning, butter, 1 egg and 2 cups flour.
• 6 beat until smooth then gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough.
• 7 knead for about 10 minutes.
• 8 place in a greased bowl, turn to grease top. cover and let rise until doubled about 1 hour.
• 9 punch down dough and divide into 6 pieces.
• 10 roll each piece into a 14" x 4" strip.
• 11 stir cheese into sausage mixture then spoon down the center of each strip.
• 12 seal long edges of strips together to form a 14" rope.
• 13 braid 3 ropes together and seal.
• 14 place loaves on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled about 45 minutes.
• 15 beat remaining egg and brush on loaves.
• 16 bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
• 17 serve warm.