Sausage Bread

Makes 4 servings

Prep: 12 hrs, 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 frozen loaves of bread dough
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup large diced sweet red pepper
1 cup large diced green bell pepper
2 cups large diced sweet Vidalia onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon dry basil
6 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from their casing
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions

1. Thaw dough in the refrigerator overnight for best results or thaw according to package directions.
2. About two hours before you are ready to eat, bring dough out to room temperature, cover and place in a warm place for at least one hour.
3. While dough is warming up, in a large skillet over medium heat, place oil and bring to hot. Add both peppers and onion and cook about 3 to 4 minutes, or just until the onions are no longer crunchy. You want the vegetables somewhat tender but not over cooked. Add garlic and basil and cook for one minute.
4. Move vegetables to the sides of the pan and place the sausage meat in the center. With two wooden spoons, break the meat apart and keep cooking until browned. When the meat is no longer pink, bring the vegetables in from the sides and mix all together. Add salt, pepper and tomato paste and stir to combine. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a dinner plate. Place in the refrigerator to cool down somewhat (you want this mixture to be at room temperature before adding to the raw dough).
5. Once the dough has proofed for an hour, dust your counter with flour and roll out each dough loaf to 10x16-inches letting the dough rest for a few minutes between rolling so the gluten can relax. The dough will stretch better after each rest period. Dust with more flour as needed.
6. Divide your meat mixture into four (two portions for each loaf of dough). Run one quarter of the meat down the center almost to the ends. Then fold the side closest to you over covering the meat to about ⅔ to the opposite side. Place another one quarter of meat on top of the center going close to each end.
7. With a brush and water, brush a little water on the open seam. Then fold in each end slightly. Next take the back edge and fold it forward pinching it closed where the edge meets the dough. It is important that it gets pinched and sealed tight.
8. Lift the filled dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan (seam down), cover with a towel and let rest in a warm draft free place for about an hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and move rack to center.
10. Bake for 20 minutes until browned. If you bake both pans at the same time, rotate half way through. You may need to bake longer if both pans are cooked together.
11. Move to a cutting board and let rest five minutes. Then slice thick slices and serve.