Pepperoni Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups flour, more if necessary for stickiness
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (i like to double this!)
• 8 ounces sliced pepperoni, cut into quarters (you can also use turkey pepperoni as a healthier option and to reduce on the grease the pepperoni gi)
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)

Recipe

• 1 heat milk and butter to 120°f combine half of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and pepperoni into a large bowl. add milk and butter mixture.
• 2 knead for 3 minutes. add the rest of the flour in 1/2 cup portions, kneading between each. if the dough seems too sticky, slowly add more flour until the stickiness is corrected.
• 3 place dough in a greased bowl, and spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. cover and let rise for one hour.
• 4 punch the dough down and let rest for 10 minutes.
• 5 form dough into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. (i like to use real butter to grease the pan. it gives the crust a great flavor.) cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 45 minutes.
• 6 preheat oven to 375°f bake loaves for 10 minutes; then turn oven down to 350f and bake for 30-35 minutes longer, until the breads are browned. optional: add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese to the top of the loaf when it has about 10 minutes left baking.
• 7 allow bread to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, or until pans are cool enough to touch. place loaf onto a wire rack and allow to cool for an additional 10-15 minutes so that the bread is cool enough to cut. enjoy!