I invented this one last weekend along with he jalapeño cheddar bread that I'll post sometime soon. It's basically normal bread with some extra ingredients rolled in after the first rise. The dough is enough for three loaves, but the suasage/olive ingredients are only geared towards one - his is on purpose. I never make three loaves of this at once, but rather use the remaining two-thirds for other breads. Adjust recipe as you need to make more loaves.
Scald the milk. In a largish mixing bowl put warm water, 1 tsp. sugar, honey, salt, and yeast, stir gently and let this sit while you are scalding the milk. This activates the yeast and by the time the milk is ready you should be able to tell if you have good yeast or not.
Add cool water, 3 tbsp. sugar, and butter to milk and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add milk mixture and 1/2 cup of flour to yeast and sugar mixture. While stirring slowly add another 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups of flour. Basically you should wind up stirring for about 10 - 15 minutes and the amount of flour you add should both be added gradually over the course of this time, and also be he amount it takes to make the dough too stiff to stir anymore. If you've set aside roughly 6 cups you can just keep gradually adding over the course of his time without measuring.
Once dough can't be stirred anymore empty entire mixing bowls contents onto a clean floured surface. At this point, I find it helps to grease my hands with crisco, then flour them. The dough will initially be very sticky. Every time it sticks to something, sprinkle more flour on that surface, your hands, and the dough. If too much sticks to your hands 'wash' them with flour.
With your hands continue rolling more flour into the dough and kneading it in until it takes on a natural elastic texture that doesn't stick to surfaces. I do this by continually sprinkling the surface I am kneading against and the top of the dough with flour and then kneading it all together. Continue kneading the dough for 10-15 minutes.
Grease a mixing bowl or cookie sheet and place the kneaded dough onto it, either turn the dough so that a greased side is up, or rub a fine layer of vegetable or olive oil over all exposed surfaces of the dough - this keeps it from drying out. Then place in a warmish place. I generally set the oven to 100-150 in the middle of kneading and then turn it off when I start to grease the mixing bowl - then place the dough in the oven. Cover with a clean dish towell (also to prevent drying).
While the dough is rising, brown about 1 - 1 1/2 cups Italian sausage (about three links), drain, and chop into little bits - between an 1/8 and 1/4 inch pieces. Also, chop about half a can (6 oz) of black olives to about the same size.
After the hour is out, remove dough and punch down (squeeze all the carbon dioxide out of it, this is fun!). Then separate into three equal sections. Take one of these and form into long oblong, loaf like shape and then press the middle down lengthwise forming a long dough trough with high sides. Fill that trough with browned sausage and black olives. then pinch sides up. and keep folding dough over. I do it this way, cause otherwise, the dough is so elastic its hard to work the ingredients in. Knead and fold the dough until the sausage and olives are spread evenly throughout the dough.
Press dough into a flat shape about 9"x12"X.5" thick and starting at the 9" side roll dough up into a loaf shape. Pinch seam along length, place seam on bottom, then fold ends under. Place in loaf pan or on cookie sheet or pizza stone and let rise a second time. Remember to reheat your oven, if you are using that technique. Second rising can be from an hour to 2 hours - depending on your schedule.
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees. Brush top wit egg white, sprinkle extra black olive pieces, and cheddar cheese. Return to oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
I find this to be great hot, or reheated in a toaster oven. Keep refrigerated.
Let me know if you try this or have a twist on this recipe. Enjoy.
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