Nana's Sausage Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs loose sweet italian sausage links (or remove casings from 2 lbs of links)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
• 1 lb grated mozzarella cheese (approx. 4 cups)
• 6 cups flour (set aside 1 cup of the 6)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 envelope rapid rise dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons finely grated locatelli cheese or 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in frying pan, brown sausage over medium high heat.
• 2 drain drippings and let cool.
• 3 mix 2 eggs, basil, fennel seeds and mozzarella into cooled sausage and set aside.
• 4 in large bowl, combine 5 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
• 5 in small sauce pan, heat water, milk and butter until hot to the touch (about 125°), and stir into dry mixture.
• 6 mix in only enough of the reserved 1 cup of flour to make a soft dough.
• 7 knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes).
• 8 cover dough and let rest for about 10 minutes.
• 9 divide dough in half, set one half aside.
• 10 roll half the dough into a 6" x 18" rectangle.
• 11 spoon half the sausage mixture evenly over the dough to within a 1/2 of the edges.
• 12 fold the dough over the sausage filling and overlap the dough by about 1 1/2", seal seam and ends by pinching dough together.
• 13 carefully transfer filled dough to a greased baking sheet in a horseshoe shape.
• 14 with a very sharp knife or razor, make slashes in the top of dough about 1/2" deep and about 2" apart.
• 15 repeat rolling and filling with remaining piece of dough.
• 16 beat remaining egg and brush over both loves of bread.
• 17 lightly sprinkle 1 tb of locatelli or parmesan cheese over each loaf (optional).
• 18 cover loaves and let rise until doubled (about 40-50 minutes).
• 19 bake in preheated 375° oven for about 25-30 minutes or until done.
• 20 remove from baking sheets and cool slightly.
• 21 serve warm.
• 22 refrigerate leftovers.
• 23 bread can be made a day ahead of time and then warmed in the oven before serving.