Recipe(tried): Herb Bread with Sweet Sausage - Dearest Judy: I took sometime for researching your question

and I am including one recipe from the The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, Pages 355-56. In this case it is in a round form but the ones I have seen & tasted are always in the forn of a french bread (not the bagette). I know that there is still more information in my other books, specially on the old ones.

I will also include tomorrow a simple version of the recipe by our gifted chef Giovanna Huyke. I do this recipe frequently (PAN RELLENO DE JAMONES-Bread stuffed with different sausages, hams & cheese.)therefore I dont need the original anymore for sharing it. You will be surprised at how easy it is. I am going to search for the original by Ms. Huyke. If I dont find it you will have to do with my instructions. (Ja Ja Ja)

HERB BREAD WITH SWEET SAUSAGE
Source: The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, 1984, Pp. 355-356

2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried chervil
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp freshly ground blackpepper
3 tb olive oil
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 cups warm dry white wine
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 lb. sweet Italian sausages, removed from casings & crumbled
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tb finely chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 egg
2 tsp water

Combine the oregano, basil, thyme, chervil, rosemary, fennel, pepper & oil in a small bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour.

Stir the yeast into the warm wine in a large bowl & let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt & 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 & turn to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is rising, combine the sausages, onion & garlic in a skillet & 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 & roll into a rectangle (or a circle if you want to prepare a loaf) 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.

(the next step is for a loaf, but you can adapt it for a french style bread)-Roll the dough up like a jelly roll & shape it into a spiral in a buttered 10 inch springform pan. Cover & let rise in a warm place 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (I suggest that you use the same pan that you use for baking cookies or a jelly roll. You roll the dough as explained here & you seal carefully both edges. You use the egg wash & you might add several small cuts over the bread with a kitchen knife to give it the look of a french bagette. Cover & let rise it like in the recipe. From here on you can follow the original recipe.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Beat the egg & 2 tsp 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 & sounds hollow when the bottom is lightly thumped, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly & remove from the pan. Cool to room temperature & cut into wedges to serve.

1 round 10 inch loaf.