Pepperoni Bread

My mom has been making this stuffed bread forever.  The ingredients are so simple and it takes no time to throw together.  This is the perfect appetizer type finger food to serve during this busy holiday season. You can bake it ahead of time and warm it up as people stop by to say hello, drop off some gifts or bring over a plate of cookies! It also is a great dish to bring to one of the many holiday gatherings that seem to dominate December weekends.  Sometimes we like to eat it for dinner, with a salad on a laid back Saturday night!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Make the whole recipe ahead and warm the bread up, wrapped in foil, at 200 degrees for 30 minutes!  

Dough (I use either this bread machine pizza dough recipe from all recipes or the one that came with my Oster.  Store bought pizza dough works fine too!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup flat beer
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Directions

1.  Put beer, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and yeast in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and press Start.

2.  Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Roll or press dough into a 16 X 14 greased cookie sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

To Make Bread:

1/2 pound American cheese

1/4 pound large wafer sized pepperoni

olive oil for brushing over dough

sprinkle of garlic powder

sprinkle of basil and oregano

1.  Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Layer pepperoni over the entire dough that was rolled out onto the cookie sheet.

2.  Layer slices of cheese over the pepperoni.

3.  Sprinkle with seasonings.  Fold each side in so it meets and closes the loaf. Roll ends in and fold to close.  

4.  Rub with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 min.  Be sure to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting so you don't lose all of the cheese!