Braided Sausage Cheese Bread

I love bread and I have never attempted to make bread. When this challenge came to us, I was thrilled! I decided to take a chance and try to bake this braided bread. I used the white bread recipe for this challenge. I figured that I could spice it up a bit with some seasoning, cheese, and smoked sausage. This recipe did not disappoint my taste buds.

Braided Sausage Cheese Bread
by Luke
Adapted from a receipe in Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Melt-in-Your-Mouth Fresh Bread Every Day by Donna Currie

Prepare the dough the day before baking.

For the white dough:
1/2 cup room temperature water
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups bread flour

You will need to prepare the dough 3 separate times in 3 separate bowls, one for each rope.

Stuffing:
3/4 pound Smoked Pepper Jack and Onion Sausage, diced
2 cups of shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish:
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Seasoning
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients for dough in medium bowls, then knead each by hand. Once dough has been kneaded place dough back into medium bowls, cover and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise.

While bread is rising, brown sausage in a skillet for 20 minutes, until cooked. Remove from skillet to cool.

After the dough has risen, place a sheet of wax paper on a baking pan and lightly coat with flour. Remove each dough from bowl and form into 3 ropes, each roughly 20 inches long. Place each rope on the baking pan. Using a paring knife, butterfly each rope and place diced sausage and cheese into the dough. Once everything is placed into the dough, close the dough so that no ingredients fall out.

Line up each piece of dough next to each other. Pinch the three together at one end, then braid loosely. After each piece of dough is braided, pinch the other end together and fold the pinched ends under the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.

After 24 hours or less, remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Add spices to the top of the bread. Preheat oven at 350°F. Place dough in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the bread is browned.

Remove bread from oven and from pan to cool. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil to top of bread. Serve bread once it has cooled.