Veranda Bread with Pepperoni

More adventures in bread... I finished my final test today and I am officially a nursing school graduate as of Friday at 10 am. That being said my aunt Nan is coming in tomorrow from the big apple to see me graduate. So I asked her what she wanted me to make for her and she said pepperoni bread. Apparently my mom used to make veranda bread with pepperoni in it at the Night Kitchen and that's what Nan was referring to. She likes food memories too.

Now this recipe takes a little time and it makes a lot of bread. I actually ended up with two fat loaves when I should have rolled them longer and thinner and made a lot of skinny rolls. Oh well next time... While this was rising I actually made the Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies I blogged a few minutes ago.

Ingredients:

5 C warm water
1/4 C honey or maple syrup
3 tbsp yeast

4 1/2 C ap flour plus

2 tbsp salt
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
more ap flour

Stick of pepperoni
Parmesan cheese- or other cheese of your choice
1 egg yolk plus a splash of water for the egg wash

Method:

First combine warm water, honey or maple syrup, and yeast and let sit for about 5 mins until it is foamy and bubbly.

Then put the yeast mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Beat in the ap flour until combined and then let that sit in a warm place for 30 mins.

Now add the salt and whole wheat flour and let it combine in the mixer.
At this point you are going to add more ap flour by the 1/2 cup until the dough comes together and pretty much holds a shape. It shouldn't stick terribly to your hands. I added a decent amount of flour at this point. Probably several cups, but I wasn't counting. It should be kneadable.
Put some flour down on your counter and turn out the dough, knead it a little and add more flour and knead it in if the dough is sticking everywhere. I kneaded more flour in here too.
Once you've got a good dough break it into 2 pieces and make a rectangle out of one with your hands- no need to use the rolling pin, you should be able to just press it and flip it with your hands.
Once you've got your rectangle add your pepperoni and a decent amount of parmesan cheese to the middle of the dough- like you were making cinnamon buns. Now roll up the dough starting with the longer side and tuck each of the loose ends under to keep in your meat and cheese.
Do the same thing to the other hunk of dough.
Now take one egg yolk and mix it with a little water to make your egg wash. Brush the top of your loaves.
Take a knife and make slits across the top of the loaves- this just looks pretty.
You might have to cut your loaves in half to make them fit on the sheet, I did, and thank god I did because they at least doubled in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 and let the loaves rise again while the oven is preheating. Once the oven is ready and the loaves have puffed up again throw them in for about 35 mins or until they sound hollow when you hit the bottoms.

This recipe is good for rolls too, or boules, or the crust of a pizza, that was another Night Kitchen fave of mine- this dough pressed into a baking sheet with a little corn meal on the bottom then coated with marinara and a cheddar/mozzarella combo. Mmmmm.....