Recipe: Crusty Sausage-Filled Bread

CRUSTY SAUSAGE-FILLED BREAD

1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 packages (1-pound each) pizza dough (available in dairy refrigerator case of most supermarkets)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for working the dough
Garnish: 2 cups whole-grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Break up the sausage into small pieces and saute it in a skillet over medium-high heat until completely brown and cooked through. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

When drained, place the cooled sausage in a bowl with the eggs, basil, cloves, allspice, sage, salt, pepper, mozzarella, and Parmigiano. Mix well.

Set one pound of the pizza dough on a lightly floured board. (A small amount of olive oil rubbed between your hands will assist in handling the dough.) Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and roll it out into a 10- by 12-inch rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. (The dough will form an uneven rectangle as it is rolled.)

Spread half the sausage filling over the dough, allowing a 1 1/2-inch border on all sides. Fold in the 1 1/2-inch border of dough and press down. Roll the dough into a jelly roll, beginning with a short side. Place the dough, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. Make the second filled bread with the remaining ingredients and place it on the same baking sheet.

Bake the breads about 40-45 minutes, until they are crusty and brown. Cool the breads on a wire rack.

FINISHING TOUCHES AND TABLE PRESENTATION:
Serve the breads warm, wrapped in brightly colored napkins, on cutting boards. Place a serrated knife on each board. Put the mustard into two small bowls with bread-and-butter knives for service.

Makes 2 breads
Source: Invitation to Dinner: Elegant Entertaining and Delicious Dinners at Home, by Abigail Kirsch with David Nussbaum