My internet perusing on savory quick breads lead me to this recipe, and it looked and sounded too good to pass up. Who doesn't love pizza? And who doesn't love the idea of all those classic pepperoni pizza ingredients folded into a bread rather than the labor of making pizza dough (isn't that what pizza delivery is for? ;)
I am sure this bread is amazing BUT I did not follow the recipe exactly (used sliced pepperoni and not enough of it, as well as not enough mozzarella either) and it came out tasting like an herb bread that was baked in a bread machine.
Hmmmm...what's a frustrated wanna-be-baker gal to do? Well-I cut up the loaf of bread into cubes and made it into a Pepperoni Pizza Strata (Italian name for savory bread pudding)! I had great success with this and I'll gladly share the recipe with you:)
Pepperoni Pizza Strata
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 pound stale artisanal bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces fresh milk mozzarella, diced
3 ounces pepperoni, ½-inch dice
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Coat a 2 1/2-qt. baking dish with oil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and the following 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper flakes). Fold in the bread cubes and let sit 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni and half of the parmesan cheese to the egg and bread mixture. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top and bake until the strata has set and is golden on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
If you would like to try your hand at Pepperoni Pizza Quick Bread (courtesy of Chow.com) the next time you crave pizza and want something a little bit lighter here is the recipe I tried (but follow the recipe;). I think this would make a great lunch to pack for the kids or to take to work.
Pepperoni Pizza Bread
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups medium-dice whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
- 3/4 cup small-dice pepperoni (about 3 1/2 ounces)
- 3/4 cup drained and coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (about 4 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for coating the pan
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Generously coat a metal 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and coat the paper with oil as well; set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, oregano, salt, baking soda, and pepper together in a large bowl until aerated and any large lumps are broken up. Add the cheese, pepperoni, and tomatoes and toss in the flour mixture until the pieces are separated and evenly coated; set aside.
Place the eggs, milk, and measured olive oil in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the flour is just incorporated, being careful not to overmix (a few streaks of flour are OK). The batter will be very thick.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (test several spots because you may hit a pocket of cheese), about 40 to 45 minutes.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the bread and turn it out onto the rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes more before slicing.
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