Pizza Bread

Dip this bread in marinara and you’re all set! Toast it, or slice a hunk and eat it over the sink like I do. This bread is easy to make – the most labor intensive thing is chopping the toppings. Hey, that rhymed! Anyway, this was a huge hit with the fellas – which means I’ll be making it again soon. 

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups toppings (black olives, pepperoni, red and green peppers)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Pour warm water in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar, whisk to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Stir in flour and salt. You can do this with a spoon, I did it with a dough hook in my stand mixer.
2. Add the toppings (if using peppers or olives, after chopping – blot with a paper towel to remove excess liquid). Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for an hour, then move to the fridge for another hour.
3. On a well floured surface, roll dough to a 11″ x 17″ rectangle. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Fold in half along the long side, and seal up the ends. Place on a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 450º, letting loaf rest until oven comes to temperature. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, cover with foil after 20 minutes to prevent the loaf from getting too dark. 5 minutes before taking it out of the oven, brush the top with olive oil and let it finish baking. Cool on a wire rack.