Homemade Pizza Bread

This time of year, people are starting to think about what to serve in a couple of weeks for the BIG football game.  After all what's a Superbowl without food?  Here's a pizza bread that you can put together using either store bought bread dough or making my attached bread dough, (a very easy version).  What you put inside is up to you!  You can go with vegetables, pepperoni and cheese, (like I'm going to show you), or several kinds of meats and cheeses.  This is a great break away from the traditional pizza, and serves a large crowd easily.  Make up some marina dipping sauce and you've got a touchdown winner for sure.
Let's start with my dough, (if you're not going to buy frozen dough.).  If you buy frozen dough, just thaw out the dough.

You will need:
6 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups of warm water
5 teas yeast (2 packets)
6 Tabs olive oil
4 teas salt

In a small bowl, add yeast to warm water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes, (so the yeast can bloom).

Your yeast will look like this.  It has come back to life and developed a foam.  You will be able to smell the yeast.

In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of flour and the salt.  Mix together and make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Your flour mixture will look like this.

Add the yeast to the flour well.

Mix the yeast and the flour together.  It will be very wet and loose.

Add the olive oil.  Stir the mixture well.

Now working 1 cup at a time - add more flour to the flour mixture.  Stir, incorporating the new flour into the flour mixture.  Once all the flour has been mixed in and the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, (you may have to add a little less or a little more than the 3 remaining cups of flour that you have, depending on the humidity and how much water your flour is holding), the dough will start to form a nice ball.

This is what your dough will look like.

Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky and is nice and smooth, (like a baby's bottom).

 When I knead my dough, I like to use my finger tips to pull the dough towards me and the heel of my hand to push the dough away.  I do this 3 or 4 times, then rotate the dough 1/4 turn and repeat the process.  I keep doing this over and over again.

 Eventually my dough will look like this.

 Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel.  Set in a warm, draft free area of your kitchen for about 1 hour until double in size.  (see, that wasn't hard, was it?).

 It's been 1 hour, time to roll out the dough and assemble our pepperoni bread.  If you purchased your frozen bread and it's thawed out, you will begin from this point.

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray coat it.  On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a long rectangle.

Spread marina sauce, (homemade or store bought), over the dough, about 1 cup, (almost to the the edges).   Place a layer of pepperoni slices over the marina sauce, (about 1 cup), or whatever meat, (ham, sausage, etc), or sliced vegetables.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, (or layer several different type of cheeses for more depth of flavor) about 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

Starting at the long side of the dough, tightly roll up the dough to the opposite end.

Pinch the ends after you get it all rolled up.  This will help to hold in the filling.   Now move your dough to the cookie sheet with the seam side down, and bake 25 minutes, until golden brown and the dough is cooked completely.

If you find any holes, (like this one), pinch it closed before baking, so it doesn't explode and spill out in the oven.

Once your pizza bread is done, remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Then slice with a serrated knife and serve with marina dipping sauce.  Delicious anytime!!

Enjoy!