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–+ servings
pepperoni pizza bread in slices with fresh basil on wood cutting board

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

This pizza bread is made with homemade bread dough and packed with cheese, pepperoni, and fresh vegetables. Don't forget the homemade marinara sauce for dipping! This is a great recipe for a main meal, or a snack to share with a group! To make it even better, it's easy to make in a convection oven (instructions included)!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 22 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise TIme 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Course Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients
  

For the Bread

  • 3 cups + 1 tbsp all purpose white flour
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil to knead the dough before the rise

For the Filling – ingredients will be divided into 3rds

  • 1 ½ cups shredded provolone cheese not slices
  • 2 roma tomatoes just over ½ cup sliced
  • ¾ cup sliced yellow onion
  • 1 ½ cups pepperoni slices option to use salami slices
  • 6 tablespoon shredded Pecorino Romano cheese little more or less is fine
  • ¾ cup fresh basil leaves
  • cornmeal to sprinkle on bottom of baking pan
  • optional dried oregano, dried basil, and/or garlic powder for sprinkling on top of bread loaf

For the Egg Wash

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon water

Marinara Sauce for Dipping – this is a half portion of my marinara recipe

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion
  • 14.5 oz. no salt crushed tomatoes 1 can
  • 1 tablespoon water to rinse out tomato can
  • ¾ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

Make the Dough

  • Combine all ingredients for the dough (except for the oil). If you’re using active dry yeast then combine the yeast and water separately for about 10 minutes to allow it to activate before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
  • Work the dough together. It should be slightly sticky. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and continue to knead dough. Because it’s sticky I only knead it for a couple minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with a lid or towel to rise for 45 minutes-1 hour until doubled in size.

Prepare the Filling

  • While the dough is rising, prepare the vegetables and cheese by shredding the cheese and slicing the vegetables. Keep each ingredient separate and keep basil leaves whole.
  • Prepare the egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 2 teaspoon cold water in a small bowl.

Prep to Bake

  • If using a conventional oven, preheat to 375℉. If using toaster oven, no need to preheat.
  • Once dough has risen, tip out dough onto a well- floured work surface. Using your hands, gently knead/stretch out the dough to approximately a 10” x 15” rectangle. Perfection doesn’t matter with this!
  • Starting at a long end, about 1" from the edge, layer ⅓ of each ingredient which will be about:
    ½ cup provolone cheese
    ⅓ cup tomato slices
    ¼ cup sliced onion
    ½ cup pepperoni slices, overlapping
    ¼ cup basil leaves
    Sprinkle of romano cheese (about ⅛ cup).
  • Gently roll the dough over the ingredients and press edge down gently to seal. Repeat layering all the ingredients as stated above. Again, roll the dough over the ingredients and press down the edge to seal. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t seal, add a tiny bit of water with your fingertips but be cautious to not add too much.
  • Repeat layering the ingredients 1 last time, and this time bring the edge of the dough up and over the ingredients toward you. Roll the log so the seal is down.
  • If using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper. Option to use a pizza stone.
  • Sprinkle the baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal.
  • If using a convention oven then keep the pizza loaf as 1 large piece and gently curve it slightly if needed as you transfer it to your baking sheet.
  • If you’re using a convection oven, slice the bread loaf in half and lay the 2 portions next to each other on a baking sheet.
  • Gently baste with the egg wash on the top and sides of the loaf. Option to sprinkle additional seasonings at this time.
  • Conventional oven: use middle rack. Convection oven/toaster oven: use lower rack
  • Bake at 375℉ for 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it.
  • While the loaf is cooking, make the marinara sauce for dipping.

Making the Marinara

  • This uses a ½ portion of my homemade Marinara Sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan add 2 tablespoon olive oil and heat to medium heat. Once hot add the garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Decrease temperature to Lo for another 10 minutes. Blend in a heat-safe blender ( I use this Instant Pot Ace Plus Blender), use an immersion blender, or cool marinara before blending.
  • Remove pizza bread from the oven and let it sit for a minute before cutting (no you don’t have to wait but it will make it a bit easier to cut).
  • Cut into 12 equal pieces. Enjoy!
Keyword pizza bread
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