Cheesy Stuffed Bread

This recipe was derived when I was trying to recreate the bread, that my mother used to make when I was younger, stuffed with meat and rolled like a jelly roll before baking. Although I think it’s probably a far cry from what we used to eat, it’s still absolutely delicious, and truly a meal in itself.

Dough:
2 disposable aluminum 8” x 4” loaf pans
1 1/3 c warm water
2 Tbsp instant yeast
2 eggs
4 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 c finely minced Vidalia onions
5-6 c bread flour

Filling:
4 sweet Italian sausages, cooked in olive oil and Italian seasoning, drained of oil and crumbled
3 Tbsp tomato sauce
1/4 c minced pepperoni
1 c extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onions
Dijon mustard to coat the inside of the dough
Italian seasoning & freshly ground black pepper for sprinkling


Spray the two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
For the dough, stir together the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and let stand for 3 minutes. Stir in eggs, butter, salt, sugar, cheese and 5 cups of the flour. Knead with the dough hook for 8-10 minutes on the lowest speed setting. Add more flour as needed to make a soft dough. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl that’s covered in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage for the filling, drain, and cool. When cooled, mix in tomato sauce, pepperoni, both cheeses, seasoning, and onion. Set aside.
Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough out into an oval the width of the loaf pan. Brush on Dijon mustard in a thin coat with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with italian seasoning and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the filling out onto each piece of dough and spread into a generous layer. Roll up the ovals like a jelly roll and place seam side down it the loaf pans. Slash the tops. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle on seasoning, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Loosely wrap the tops of the loaves in plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until the dough rises to an inch above the rim of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake for about 50 minutes. The tops will brown. Let cool in pans for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto wire racks.