Sausage Bread

So I've made sausage bread for the weekend... One loaf for our house and one loaf for my dad's house (since they'll have company too).  Normally Sausage Bread starts with frozen bread dough, but since I am glutton for punishment, I decided to make my own dough in the bread machine. So here are the photos and instructions from the starting dough through to the finished loaves... This recipe is a combination of a bread recipe from Food.com and my own creation for the filler.   Enjoy!

Sausage Bread with Homemade Dough
 

***Bread Dough***
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

***Sausage Filling***

2 lbs italian sausage (1 hot, 1 sweet)

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 lbs mozzarella, shredded

3 eggs
shredded Parmesan

Italian seasoning

Place all bread dough ingredients in bread machine and select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough, split into two and roll each into a 12"x15" rectangle on a lightly floured board.

Sausage, removed from casing, 1 lb hot, 1 lb sweet

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a pan. When browned, add onion and cook an additional couple of minutes until softened. Drain excess grease from sausage and cool slightly. 

Browned and ready to go

Beat two eggs together and mix with the slightly cooled sausage. Spread 1/2 of the sausage mix on each of the dough sheets, sprinkle with mozzarella, then a little Parmesan and Italian seasoning and roll it up lengthwise, pinching the ends and seam to seal.

Ready for filling

Roll up lengthwise

Tuck in ends and press seams

Ready to bake

Place seam side down on greased baking sheet and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, beat remaining egg in a small cup. After 20 minutes, remove bread from oven and brush with egg. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and Italian seasoning and return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes or until dark golden brown.

YUM!

Cool loaves on pan for 15 minutes before serving or putting on a cooling rack to cool completely. If serving at a later time, make sure to refrigerate once cool and reheat before serving.

Buttery Potato Rolls

Ok, so here's the next installment of the Holiday Recipe Exchange recipes... Today, hot, buttery, potato rolls! This recipe is based on one that's been used in my family for many many years. It utilized leftover mashed potatoes and is just delicious. I usually keep some "instant" mashed potatoes in the pantry for just this purpose (well, this and my husband's great-grandmother's doughnut recipe!) 

This is a very versatile recipe which can be made into any shape from Parkerhouse to crescents to hamburger buns. It's also great with other things added either to the dough itself (like fresh herbs) or on top (think parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, etc.) Enjoy!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Kerrygold.

Buttery Potato Rolls

5 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup unsalted butter -- to 1 1/2 cup, divided use
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour -- to 6 cups, to make stiff dough


Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin (three if you have them).

In a small bowl, add yeast to warm water. Heat milk and 1/2 cup butter in microwave for 1 minute.

Pour milk/butter mixture into the work bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Add sugar and salt and mix on low. Add potatoes and eggs and mix to combine. Add yeast/water mixture.

Slowly incorporate flour, adding enough to make a stiff dough (usually 5-6 cups), switching to dough hook when it becomes necessary.

Flour a work board or clean countertop and dump dough into the center. Dough should be soft (like a pillow!) but slightly sticky. Divide into thirds. At this point, if you only have one muffin tin (like me!) then wrap the two 1/3 batch balls in plastic wrap (or a ziptop bag) that's been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and park in the fridge until ready to bake. You can also freeze the dough at this point for later roll making. If using (from freezer) thaw overnight in the fridge. With either fridge or freezer dough allow to sit on the counter for 20-30 min. (while oven preheats) before continuing with instructions.

Soft, but slightly sticky, knead in extra flour if needed to keep it from sticking, but don't overwork the dough!

Divide each third into 12 equal sized pieces. Divide each of these pieces into three equal-sized balls (about the size of a walnut in it's shell).

Melt 1/2 cup butter in the microwave. Roll each ball into the melted butter then place three of these balls together into the well of the prepared muffin tin.

Ready to rise

Mmm! Buttery goodness!

Allow to rise 45 min or so until doubled in size.

The risen dough, ready for the oven

Bake at 350° until golden brown, 20-25 min. Cool for 5 min in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool. Brush tops with more melted butter before serving. If not serving immediately, allow to cool and store in a zip top bag. When ready to serve, reheat in a warm oven then brush with melted butter.

Yield:
"36 cloverleaf rolls"

Mason/Dixon Dressing

Here's my entry for this week's Holiday Recipe Exchange with GoodLife Eats and My Baking Addiction...

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Swanson Broth

Mason/Dixon Dressing

 

 

This dressing combines a little of both the North and the South, celebrating tastes from both cultures. The addition of dried cranberries and apples give it a slightly sweet/savory combination that is wonderful with turkey, ham, chicken or even roast pork.

Ingredients:

• 1 pan baked cornbread, crumbled
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing
• 1 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped sage 
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound pork sausage
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups chopped apple
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 can Swanson's chicken broth

Preparation:

Combine the cornbread and herb stuffing in a large bowl. Add the sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper, cranberries and pecans, tossing well to combine. (Disposable latex gloves are great here!) 

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet, crumbling as you cook until cooked through and no big lumps remain. Remove the sausage, drain and allow to cool slightly before adding to bread mixture. 

"Dry" ingredients with sausage added

Add butter to the skillet and allow to lightly brown before adding the apple, onion, and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir this mixture into the bread and sausage mixture. Slowly add chicken broth, gently stirring or mixing with hands. Use only enough broth to make stuffing moist, not soggy. It should stick together when formed into a ball, but still be slightly crumbly. 

"Moistened" dressing

Texture of "moistened" dressing

Should form a ball when squeezed together but still be crumbly when not pressed

Ready to bake

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes to lightly brown top.

Ready to eat!

Serves 10-12.

This dressing also makes great stuffing muffins or "stuffins".  Instead of baking in a 9x13" dish, spray the cups of a muffin tin with non-stick spray and fill with dressing mix.  Bake for 20-30 min. and serve. Makes 18 "stuffins". 


This dressing freezes well too. Freeze before baking, then thaw overnight before baking as directed. If needed, add a little extra chicken broth...