This is another recipe that I have been making for nearly 30 years. It is one my family often requests. I got it from a magazine, and I am not sure which one. I have made a few changes, so I guess I can call it my recipe. The recipe calls for frozen bread dough. You can get this at your supermarket in the frozen food section. There are usually several loaves to a package. I have a bread machine, so I no longer do this. I just use the dough setting and a regular white bread recipe. It takes about an hour and a half to make the dough.
From the picture, you can see that it is a very "fancy" looking bread. Relax, it's easy and I have step by step pictures for you to follow. Friends and family will be impressed and you don't have to tell them how easy it was. You can prepare the filling ahead of time and refrigerate, or you can prepare and refrigerate the whole bread ahead of time covered in plastic wrap. If you do this, just let the whole loaf come to room temperature before you bake. If you decide to bake it ahead of time, be sure to wrap in foil before re-heating, otherwise the crust will become hard and over brown.
So let's begin with the recipe and then I will show you the steps to put it together.
1 16 ounce (one pound) frozen bread dough thawed. You can use whole wheat or white.
1/2 pound of Italian sausage - that's about 5 links. If you prefer, you can use bulk breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean.
1/2 cup shredded carrot (about half a carrot)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
half a package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons of chives (optional)
To prepare the filling, remove sausage from its casing and cook in a in a skillet for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and onion and cook until the sausage is thoroughly cooked and the onion is softened. Drain off any excess fat. Transfer to a bowl and add cream cheese, spinach, parmesan, bread crumbs and chives. Mix well so the cream cheese is thoroughly blended into the mixture. Set aside.
Roll out your bread dough on a well floured surface so it is a 9 x 16 inch rectangle. Don't get crazy about the measurements, just a good sized rectangle. The dough should not be less than 1/4 inch thick. It can be more, but if it's less, it will be difficult to handle.
Next, spread the filling down the center third of the rectangle.
Now using a sharp knife, cut slits along either sides of the filling.
Then, fold the ends of the dough up over the filling.
Now comes the part that makes it look really fancy. Starting at one end, take a strip, twist it and fold it over the filling, tucking it into the side. Continue doing this, alternating sides, until all strips have been folded.
When you're all done, it should look like this:
Carefully transfer the bread onto a greased pan. and brush the whole loaf with melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pan on a rack before removing bread.
Slice and serve with a nice salad for dinner. This is best eaten with a knife and fork, as the filling is soft. Enjoy!
As always, I welcome any questions or comments. Just use the comments box at the end of this post.
Please feel free to share this page with your friends. The more the merrier!
Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie
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