If you always order Italian sausage on your pizza, then you will love this sausage bread. Delicious sweet or hot Italian sausage is rolled tightly with cheese and seasonings in your favorite prepared bread dough. It comes together in a gorgeous presentation reminiscent of a savory Swiss cake roll.
To serve, simply cut the sausage roll into slices and dip it into warm marinara sauce. The result is a unique appetizer bread (that also makes a great main course or side dish) that friends and family alike will enjoy. In fact, they might even fight over who gets the last slice.
Ingredients
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1 pound sweet Italian sausage, or hot Italian; bulk, or with the casings removed
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2 large eggs
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2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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1 (16-ounce) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
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2 cups Italian blend cheese, preshredded
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1 cup marinara sauce
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces, until the sausage is browned and thoroughly cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Remove the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed bread dough into an 9 x 13-inch rectangle.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Brush the prepared egg mixture evenly over the rectangle, reserving about 3 tablespoons.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Top with an even layer of the cooked and crumbled sausage.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Starting from the long end, gently roll as you would a jelly roll.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Pinch to seal the edges and ends. Place it seam-side down on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the reserved egg mixture. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
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Slice and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
Tips
- Don’t have any Italian seasoning on hand? You can easily make your own blend at home. Combine equal parts of dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container and you will have your own special blend on hand whenever a recipe calls for Italian seasoning.
- If you have trouble finding a loaf of bread dough in your grocer’s freezer, prepared pizza dough also works well. In fact, if you have a favorite neighborhood pizza place, you can even ask the restaurant to sell you a pound of their dough to use in this recipe.
- Uncooked Italian sausage can be sold in either bulk or links. Buying a pound of bulk Italian sausage is easiest, but if you can only find links, simply snip off the ends of each link and gently squeeze the sausage from the casing. Break apart the pieces as you cook to crumble the sausage in the pan.
