I am from Wisconsin, so of course, I love cheese and sausage. If you’re a cheese lover like me, or a fan of savory baked goods, you are going to love this recipe for sausage cheddar bread. This hearty and flavorful bread is filled with pork sausage and cheddar cheese, making it a perfect way to start your day. You can serve it with a side of eggs, bacon, or your favorite breakfast dish. It is also great as a snack or side dish to serve at parties. The combination of the crusty exterior, with the savory blend of sausage, spices, and cheese on the inside makes this bread truly irresistable. The best part is, even if you’re not an experienced baker, it’s pretty easy to make.
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Instant rapid-rise yeast
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Water
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cooked pork sausage
Let’s Bake:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, red pepper flakes, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the warm water, eggs, egg yolk, and melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, knead on medium speed until the dough clears the bottom and sides of the bowl. This should take 4-8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl, turning the dough to coat the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1.5-2 hours. While the dough is rising, brown your pork sausage in a cast iron skillet. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Drain the grease and allow the pork sausage to cool.
Once the dough has risen, transfer the dough to an unfloured work surface and press to deflate. Roll the dough into an 18×12-inch rectangle with the long side parallel to the counter’s edge. Distribute the shredded cheddar cheese and pork sausage evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, pinching the ends and seam to seal. Starting about an inch away from one end of the log, using a pastry scraper or serrated knife, cut the log of dough length-wise down the middle, allowing the bread to fall open, revealing the sausage and cheddar layers on the inside. Now take the two long halves of the bread log, and twist them together. Do this by carefully lifting one side over the other and repeating until a braid has formed. Now pull the two ends together to form the dough into a circle, carefully tucking the ends inside the circle. Place the bread into a greased cast iron skillet. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1.5 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover your bread, and sprinkle the top with red pepper flakes. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Let the loaf cool for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. This bread can be served warm or at room temperature. I hope you enjoy ♥
Sausage Cheddar Bread
Ingredients:
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant rapid-rise yeast
- 1 ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ pound pork sausage
Directions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, red pepper flakes, and salt.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the warm water, eggs, egg yolk, and melted butter.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl.
- Using a dough hook, knead on medium speed until the dough clears the bottom and sides of the bowl, about 4-8 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl, turning the dough to coat the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1.5-2 hours.
- While the dough is rising, brown your pork sausage in a cast iron skillet. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Drain the grease and allow the pork sausage to cool.
- Once the dough has risen, transfer the dough to an unfloured work surface and press to deflate.
- Roll the dough into an 18×12-inch rectangle with the long side parallel to the counter’s edge.
- Distribute the shredded cheddar cheese and pork sausage evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.
- Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, pinching the ends and seam to seal.
- Starting about an inch away from one end of the log, using a pastry scraper or serrated knife, cut the log of dough lengthwise down the middle, allowing the bread to fall open, revealing the sausage and cheddar layers on the inside.
- Now take the two long halves of the bread log, and twist them together. Do this by carefully lifting one side over the other and repeating until a braid has formed.
- Pull the two ends together to form the dough into a circle, carefully tucking the ends inside the circle.
- Place the bread into a greased cast iron skillet. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Uncover your bread, and sprinkle the top with red pepper flakes.
- Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
- Let the loaf cool for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. This bread can be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes:
- To make the bread the day before, follow steps 1-15. Instead of covering with a towel, cover with plastic wrap and place the cast iron skillet in the fridge overnight. Before baking in the morning, remove the skillet from the fridge and allow the bread to warm up to room temperature, about 1-1.5 hours. Follow steps 16-20 for baking.
Bakes by Bohrer 