Pepperoni bread is a delicious soft bread that goes great with Italian dishes or just by itself. This instructable will take you through the detailed steps of making pepperoni bread. The prep time is approximately 10 minutes, and then the bread maker takes over for the next three hours. This easy bread can be made by any beginning adult baker, or children 12 and over with adult supervision. If you have a bread maker, this recipe is a great choice that you and your family will love!

For this recipe, I am using bread maker instructions based on the Oster 2lb. EXPRESSBAKE Breadmaker. Your bread maker may differ in settings or crust options. Choose settings on your bread machine that are closest to the ones given here.

CAUTION: This recipe contains the possible allergens Wheat and Dairy.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

Water
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Sugar
Garlic Salt
Dried oregano
Bread Flour
Active Dry Yeast
Sliced Pepperoni

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. If they are too warm or cool, it can affect the way the bread rises and bakes. Set out the ingredients and give them time to reach room temperature before you begin baking.

For this recipe, you will also need a few more materials:

Bread maker
Measuring cups and spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Small bowls to separate ingredients
Oven mitts
Chopping knife
Serrated knife
Cutting board
Cooling rack
Rubber Spatula

Step 2: Prepare Ingredients

The MOST IMPORTANT technique of making bread is exact measurements.
For wet ingredients, always use a liquid measuring cup with the measurements marked clearly on the side. After filling the measuring cup, place it on a flat surface and bend down to view it at eye level, so you can make sure the amount is exact. With dry ingredients, “level off” the measurement with a spatula or any straight edge.

TIP: Never use the measurement cup to scoop the ingredients. This is because you could add up to one tablespoon of extra ingredients by using the cup to scoop the ingredients, especially flour. Always use a spoon to fill the measuring cup before leveling it off.

Another important technique of making bread is to put the ingredients into the bread maker in the right order. This means put in the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ingredients, and lastly, the yeast.

To make sure that the ingredients do not mix and activate too soon, it is best to measure everything before you start adding them to the pan.

Use the following measurements to prepare your ingredients. Keep them separated for now. Do not add them to the pan yet.

Measure:

1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Water
1/3 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 ½ Teaspoons Garlic Salt
1 ½ Teaspoons Dried Oregano
3 ¼ Cup Bread Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2/3 Cup Sliced Pepperoni (Slice the pepperoni and set it aside for later.)

Step 3: Add Ingredients

Take the pan out of the bread machine. Set it on a flat surface. Attach the kneading blade firmly. Add the water to the pan. Next, add the following five ingredients in this order:

Shredded Cheese
Sugar
Garlic Salt
Dried Oregano
Bread Flour

Before you add the yeast, use your finger to form a well or impression in the flour for a place to pour the yeast. Yeast must NEVER contact the liquid when you add the ingredients. Once you make the well, gently pour the yeast into it. Carefully lift the pan and snap it into the bread maker.

Step 4: Start Bread Maker

CAUTION: Supervise children when they use the bread maker.

This is how to start the machine.

Close the lid of the bread machine and plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
Several things will happen now. The machine will beep, and the lights of the display will turn on. If the machine does not have the “Basic” option already chosen, select it now.
Press the “Crust Color” button repeatedly until your desired crust appears. For this recipe, I recommend a medium crust color. This machine shows the medium crust selection on the display screen as “1 P”.
If your machine gives the option to select a loaf size, choose medium.
After you have made your selections, press the “Start/Stop” button. You will hear the bread maker begin to mix the ingredients.

Important: Do NOT press the “Start/Stop” button once the machine has started. It will cause the machine to shut off and you will need to start over from scratch.

CAUTION: The bread machine gets very hot. Do not handle the machine while it is operating. This can cause severe burns.

Step 5: Add Pepperoni

Put the pepperoni in the bread machine before the final kneading. The machine will knead the bread twice. After the second kneading, the bread will rise for the second time. This is when you add the pepperoni. The machine will knead the bread one last time, then it will rise again. Once the bread finishes rising, it will begin to bake.

CAUTION: Do NOT open the lid while the bread is baking. Doing so can cause severe burns.

Step 6: Remove Bread

The full cycle of the bread machine will take three hours. (This may vary based on your machine.)

When the bread is finished, remove it from the machine right away to keep it fresh.

CAUTION: Do not put your face near the machine when you open the lid. Hot steam can escape and burn you.

To remove the bread:

Use pot holders to carefully lift the pan by its handle from the bread maker.
Turn the pan upside down onto a cooling rack and gently shake it until the bread comes out. If it sticks, use a rubber spatula to go around the sides of the loaf and loosen it.
If the kneading blade comes out with the bread, use a plastic or rubber utensil to remove it, as it will be hot.

Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes before you slice it. Because it is a soft bread, it is important that you use a serrated knife and a cutting board to slice the bread.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

Once you have made this recipe a few times, the tricks of bread making will start to come to you naturally. Making bread will seem much less complicated.

This recipe yields one loaf (about 1 1/2 pounds). Pepperoni bread is great served with marinara sauce, or used as slices of garlic bread when serving Italian dishes. Now it is time to eat and enjoy!