Friday, December 10, 2010

84. Sausage Bread


From 2006 Southern Living Annual Recipes

So...I'm afraid of dough.

I don't work with it much...I've certainly never made my own from scratch...and I just approach handling it with trepidation.

All that to say that I probably didn't roll this out as thoroughly or evenly as I should have, and it was so thin in places that I was worried the filling would pop through during baking.

However, this recipe must be fool-proof because it turned out perfectly. It was beautiful coming out of the oven, and it really held its shape when it was sliced.

The French bread dough was crunchy and chewy, and it's hard to beat the spicy, gooey combination of hot sausage and cheese.

My family loves sausage balls on Christmas morning, but I think this dish needs to make an appearance instead this year!

1 (1-lb.) package ground hot pork sausage

1 (11-oz.) can refrigerated French bread dough
1 1/2 cups shredded pizza cheese blend

Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove from pan; drain well, pressing between paper towels.

Unroll dough into a rectangular shape on a lightly greased baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with sausage and cheese. Beginning with 1 long side, roll up, jelly-roll fashion. Turn, seam side down, on baking sheet, and pinch ends to secure filling inside. Cut 3 (1/4-inch-deep) slits across top of dough with a sharp paring knife.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

2 comments:

Jander said...

Much like a simple dish of ratatouille to food critic Anton Ego, this recipe hurled me at light speed toward my childhood days. The flavor is more than mildly reminiscent of an oven-fresh sausage ball, but with a softer and chewier texture. Even reheated, this gets an 11 from me. Nice work!

La Toya said...

what is a sausage ball?! I am intrigued!! I will google it now. Also, this recipe looks pretty easy to follow. Will try it soon!