Filled Rolled Bread

This is my all time favorite pizza recipe, a filled rolled bread! Yes there a re a lot of steps, but really the toughest part is making the dough. And if you are squeamish about that there is ready-made dough (boo!) that you can buy in the grocery story to shorten the time this takes to make. I like to make my own dough because I know exactly what I have put in it. I owe this to The Frugal Gourmet, Mr. Jeff Smith, whom Linda and I loved watching on PBS oh so long ago on WTTW channel 11 in Chicago. I like to think he taught us how to cook.

THE DOUGH
1 package fast-rising dry yeast
1 cup tepid water
2 tsp of sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ c salad oil
½ tsp salt
2 ¾ c unbleached flour

THE FILLING
1/3 pound Italian sausage or mild, casing removed
2 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, slice into ¼ in strips
1 large red bell pepper, cored and sliced in 1/4 in strips
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 ¾ c canned plum tomatoes, crushed with juice
1 tsp dried oregano
(Optional) 1/3 lb wine cured hard salami, sliced 1/8 inch thick and chopped
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg white wash

Directions: dissolve the yeast in a mixing bowl with the tepid water. Add the sugar, olive oil, salad oil, and salt. Mix in 1 ½ cups of the flour and whip until the batter has formed and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and kneed until a smooth dough is achieved. Allow the dough to rise twice right in the bowl and punch down after each rising.

Heat a large frying pan and brown the sausage until crumbly. Remove and drain the excess fat and discard. Set the cooked sausage aside on a paper towel covered plate. Heat the frying pan again and add the oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes and add the parsley, crushed tomatoes, cooked sausage, and oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes more until all is tender, thickened, and some of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the remaining ingredients for the filling and allow to cool completely.

Press the dough out into an 18 X 13-inch lightly oiled nonstick sheet pan. Spread half the cooled filling lengthwise down the center of the pan of pressed-out dough. Sprinkle on some of the cheeses. Fold one layer of dough over the filling. Spread another layer over the top of the fold and sprinkle remaining cheeses on. Fold over remaining dough layer. Pinch ends to keep juices in and poke holes in top with a fork and brush egg whites over the roll.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool until warm. Slice and serve.