Pepperoni Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 cups flour, more if necessary for stickiness
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I like to double this!)
8 ounces sliced pepperoni, cut into quarters (You can also use turkey pepperoni as a healthier option and to reduce on the grease the pepperoni gi)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation

Heat milk and butter to 120\u00b0F Combine half of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and pepperoni into a large bowl. Add milk and butter mixture.
Knead for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the flour in 1/2 cup portions, kneading between each. If the dough seems too sticky, slowly add more flour until the stickiness is corrected.
Place dough in a greased bowl, and spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for one hour.
Punch the dough down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Form dough into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. (I like to use real butter to grease the pan. It gives the crust a great flavor.) Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F Bake loaves for 10 minutes; then turn oven down to 350F and bake for 30-35 minutes longer, until the breads are browned. Optional: add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese to the top of the loaf when it has about 10 minutes left baking.
Allow bread to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, or until pans are cool enough to touch. Place loaf onto a wire rack and allow to cool for an additional 10-15 minutes so that the bread is cool enough to cut. Enjoy!