Spinach Stuffed Bread

Spinach stuffed bread.

There is no limit to the combination of ingredients that can go into a stuffed bread. This time, I used sliced Compari tomatoes, chopped fresh spinach with basil and parmesan cheese, and some sliced smoked fresh mozzarella -- basically, a bunch of stuff that I needed to get out of the fridge or use up before it was past its prime shelf-life. Thankfully there is always a frozen pizza dough in one of my freezers.

A couple of things to be aware of when assembling a stuffed bread, first, too much liquid is the enemy and can make your bread soggy, and baking time and temp will vary depending on your ingredients and whether you're using a loaf pan or making a rolled bread on a cookie sheet. For this recipe, I used the loaf pan method.

To help with the moisture concern, I sliced the tomatoes and placed them in a single layer between layers of paper towels and weighted them with some cutting boards for about a half hour. I also drained the spinach mixture in a fine strainer.

THE RECIPE:

1 pizza dough

Ripe tomatoes (enough slices to distribute evenly over a rectangular crust 8"X14".

Fresh spinach (about 2 cups well packed)

1/4 Lb smoked fresh mozzarella sliced thin

1/2 C Grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Fresh or dried basil to taste

1/4 C shredded Asiago cheese

Slice the tomatoes between 1/8 and 1/4" thick, lay them in a single layer between 2 pieces of paper towel and set a heavy cutting board on top.

place the spinach, basil, and 1T olive oil in a food processor and process until spinach is completely shopped and spreadable.

Scrape the spinach into a mesh strainer and set over a bowl to drain a bit.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Coat an 8" loaf pan with olive oil

While the basil and tomatoes are draining, on a floured surface work the dough into an 8"x14" +/- rectangle

Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough leaving 1/2" on either long side and 1" at the end not spread with the spinach.

Place tomato slices on the spinach

Arrange mozzarella slices around the tomato slices

Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese

Carefully begin to roll the dough from the short end where the filling goes to the edge.

When the dough is rolled into a log, carefully tuck the last flap and the ends and pinch so the filling is less likely to ooze out.

Carefully lift the loaf into the pan with the flap on the bottom

drizzle a little olive oil on the tom of the loaf and arrange the Asiago shreds on the loaf.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and it sounds hollow when you tap on it.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before you slice it.

This hit the spot alongside the mushroom barley soup, it's great with a salad, and an easy take-along for lunch.