Herb bread with sweet sausage

1 loaf

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 teaspoons Dried oregano
2 teaspoons Dried basil
2 teaspoons Dried thyme
2 teaspoons Dried chervil
2 teaspoons Dired rosemary
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Olive oil
2 packs Active dry yeast
2 cups Warm dry white wine (105 to
115 degrees)
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Salt
5 cups UP TO...
5½ cup Unbleached flour
1 pounds Sweet Italian sausages,
Removed from casings &
Crumbled
1 medium Yellow onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Finely chopped sun-dried
Tomatoes (packed in oil)
8 ounces Smoked mozzarella, thinly
Sliced
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Water

Directions

Combine the oregano, basil, thyme, chervil, rosemary, fennel, pepper, and oil in a small bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour. Stir the yeast into the warm wine in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt, and herb mixture. Stir in enough of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Place the dough in a buttered large bowl and turn to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours. While the dough is rising, combine the sausages, onion, and garlic in a skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned. Stir in the tomatoes. Set aside. Punch the dough down and roll into a 12" circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the sausage mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Arrange the mozzarella slices evenly over the sausage mixture. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll and shape it into a spiral in a buttered 10" springform pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1 ½ hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg and 2 t water in a small bowl. Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash. Bake in the center of the oven until the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when the bottom is lightly thumped, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.

Cool to room temperature and cut into wedges to serve. From The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Russo & Sheila Lukins.

Submitted By TERRI WOLTMON On 05-05-95

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