This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Goodness, my friends. If you are looking for a delicious, fairly easy, divinely scrumptious snack or appetizer for any event this side of heaven…please make this Pepperoni Pizza Bread at your earliest convenience.
Dip slices of it into this fabulous Marinara Dipping Sauce and all will be well in your world. 🙂 At least for a little while.
No mixer required, just a big bowl and a sturdy stirring device. 🙂
Let me show you how to make it happen!
Into a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and seasonings. Toss them together with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula.
Chop up your cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperonis. Add them to the bowl.
Pour the warm water into a large glass measuring cup and add the minced garlic, stir to combine.
Pour the water over the top of the flour mixture and stir well to combine.
It will look like a big shaggy ball at this point. It should be pretty sticky. If it looks dry to you, add more water (up to 1/2 a cup).
Cover and allow it to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Grab a dough scraper, or sturdy rubber spatula. Spray it with cooking spray and then place it in the bowl, to the side of the dough. Pull the dough up and over the top of itself, 12-15 times.
Grab 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans or pie plates. Take 4 sheets of parchment paper and scrunch them up into 4 small balls. Unravel each sheet and place 2 of them into each of your pans, laying them so that they form a large plus sign. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. These sheets will help catch any of the cheese that might be protruding out of the dough. These “edgy” cheese pieces will bake up beautifully and give the bread a bit of a cheese crust in some parts. This is what we want. 🙂 What we don’t want is the cheese to melt and spill over into the bottom of your oven. Which is what will happen if the parchment paper step is omitted.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and lay each dough mound into one of the pans.
Allow it to rise for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is about 1 1/2 inches above the rim.
Carefully place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 200 degrees.
Remove the pans from the oven and carefully dump the bread onto two cooling racks. Turn them right side up and spread softened butter all over the top of the loaves.
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before you slice into the loaves. (If you can wait that long.)
To make the Marinara Dipping Sauce, place all ingredients into a blender, or blender bottle and mix to combine.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- PEPPERONI and CHEESE BREAD:
- 6 C bread flour
- 3 1/4 C water (may need to add a bit more)
- 1 Tb minced garlic (bottled works great)
- 1 1/2 Tb yeast
- 1 Tb salt
- 1 Tb sugar
- 1 1/2 Tb Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp fennel
- 1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, cubed
- 1 1/2 C mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1 C pepperoni, cut into pieces
- MARINARA DIPPING SUACE:
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 Tb olive oil
- 1 Tb Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice (bottled is fine)
Instructions
- Into a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and seasonings. Toss them together with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula.
- Chop up your cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperonis. Add them to the bowl.
- Pour the warm water into a large glass measuring cup and add the minced garlic, stir to combine.
- Pour the water over the top of the flour mixture and stir well to combine. It will look like a big shaggy ball at this point. It should be pretty sticky. If it looks dry to you, add more water (up to 1/2 a cup). Cover and allow it to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grab a dough scraper, or sturdy rubber spatula. Spray it with cooking spray and then place it in the bowl, to the side of the dough. Pull the dough up and over the top of itself, 12-15 times.
- Grab 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans or pie plates. Take 4 sheets of parchment paper and scrunch them up into 4 small balls. Unravel each sheet and place 2 of them into each of your pans, laying them so that they form a large plus sign. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. These sheets will help catch any of the cheese that might be protruding out of the dough. These "edgy" cheese pieces will bake up beautifully and give the bread a bit of a cheese crust in some parts. This is what we want. 🙂 What we don't want is the cheese to melt and spill over into the bottom of your oven. Which is what will happen if the parchment paper step is omitted.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and lay each dough mound into one of the pans. Allow it to rise for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is about 1 1/2 inches above the rim. Carefully place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 200 degrees.
- Remove the pans from the oven and carefully dump the bread onto two cooling racks. Turn them right side up and spread softened butter all over the top of the loaves. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before you slice into the loaves. (If you can wait that long.)
- To make the Marinara Dipping Sauce, place all ingredients into a blender, or blender bottle and mix to combine. Enjoy!
I wish you had posted pictures of the steps forming the loaves. I am a word and picture follower.