Recipe(tried): Pepperoni Bread (bread machine dough cycle)

Even tho this recipe doesn't have any of those ingredients you bought in it, I just had to share it. It's a wonderful recipe and can be made vegetarian by leaving out the pepperoni and adding some thinly sliced garlic and bell peppers (I use a variety of colors for eye appeal) to the mushroom mixture before saut ing if you like. My notes say I have thrown the dough before the second kneading into the refrigerator overnight when something came up in the middle of making it one day, then I let it sit out while making the filling and proceeded on a floured surface. It rose well with the filling inside in a warm oven (with oven turned off). I have taken it on picnics and it is very well received. The cookbook author says: it's great served warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two to three days and the cooled bread can be frozen wrapped in foil inside a plastic bag. Defrost it still wrapped.

Pepperoni Bread
Source: Pizza, Focaccia, Flat and Filled Breads from Your Bread Machine: Perfect Every Time by Lora Brody

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer; 4-6 as a light meal

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 Tablespoon yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup warm water
1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter or margarine

Place all the ingredients in the machine, program for Dough or Manual and press Start. The dough will look sticky but feel oily to the touch.

FOR THE FILLING:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cups (8 ounces) thinly sliced mushrooms

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and add the onion slides, cooking for 3 minutes, or until they are slightly translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until eh onion slices and mushrooms have wilted and the liquid has evaporated. Cool this mixture while you roll out the dough

TO FINISH THE BREAD:
1 Tablespoon garlic oil
1 cup (4 ounces) thinly sliced pepperoni
1 cup (4 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

When dough has completed dough cycle transfer it to a work surface lightly sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a clean towel.

Then roll it from the center to the edges until you have an 18 to 20 inch circle. Spread the dough with the garlic oil. Distribute the pepperoni slices evenly over the dough, followed by the mushroom and onion mixture and then the mozzarella cheese. Fold in the sides of the circle to form a 6 1/2 inch square.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and grease of spray it lightly with vegetable spray. Lift the square onto the prepared sheet and flatten it to an 8 inch square. Cover it with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour, or until slightly rounded.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. with the rack in the center position.

Generously brush the egg glaze over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (my experience with this recipe says 35 minutes), or until it is a deep golden color and crusty on the top. It is better to over bake than to underbake it. (I have underlined those last two lines in the cookbook, so it must mean I had a problem once, make sure you bake it long enough.) It's a very wonderful bread, Enjoy!