These sausage stuffed bread pockets feature sauteed onions, bell pepper, and crumbled chicken sausage, sprinkled with Italian herbs and packed into soft pillowy pockets of dough that are baked to tender perfection.
This recipe was originally written in October 2021. In June 2024 we updated this post to include an ingredients list, tips for making and storing, recipe variations, and frequently asked questions to better serve you. We hope you like these updates and that they help you successfully make this dish!
This recipe was inspired by my grandmother’s homemade kraut brot (cabbage bread) recipe. Kraut brot is a German dish that traditionally features ground beef and sauteed cabbage stuffed into homemade dough. We borrowed heavily from that recipe, but swapped chicken sausage for ground beef and bell peppers for cabbage.
Ingredients
- Yeast – active dry yeast helps the homemade bread dough rise, creating a light and fluffy texture.
- Honey – feeds the yeast as it activates and adds a hint of sweetness to the bread dough.
- Canola oil – to provide some richness to the bread dough.
- All-purpose flour – we like to use unbleached AP flour or sometimes we use equal parts white whole wheat and AP flour to add in a touch more fiber. You may need a touch more than the 2 cups for kneading, but only add a little bit at a time to avoid tough dough.
- Chicken or turkey sausage – chicken and turkey sausage are both lower-fat options than pork sausage and they taste just as yummy! We love to use Sprouts fresh Italian chicken sausage or Honeysuckle white Italian turkey sausage links. We just remove the casings and crumble it while it browns.
- Bell peppers – we prefer to use a mix of red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers for sweet variety and a pop of color (eat the rainbow!).
- Yellow onion and garlic – for a little crunch and sharpness.
- Mozzarella cheese – an optional, but delicious, addition that helps bind the meat, veggies, and seasoning together, making it easier to stuff the pockets. Plus, who wouldn’t want gooey cheese in every bite?
- Olive oil – for sauteing the veggies and browning the meat.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, salt and pepper are simple but effective seasonings that give this filling its signature taste.
Tips for Making Sausage Stuffed Bread Pockets
- Use warm water to ensure that the yeast is properly activated. Without proper activation the dough won’t rise, resulting in tough, dense dough. The water should be warm to the touch, but not scalding, as too hot of water will kill the yeast.
- Make sure your yeast is still good. Expired yeast won’t activate properly. Look for little bubbles in the water after combining the water, yeast, and honey to verify that the yeast is still good.
- Knead the dough, adding flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be neither floury nor sticky to the touch. And the dough should spring back quickly when you apply pressure to it with a finger.
- Knead by hand (not a stand mixer hook). Doing so prevents over-kneading, which results in tough, dense dough.
- Make the filling ahead of time to give it time to cool so you don’t burn your fingers when filling the dough pockets and crimping the dough together.
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Bread Pockets
Make the Bread Dough
Combine warm water, yeast, and honey in a medium mixing bowl. Add oil and salt. Stir in flour. Mix until the flour is incorporated or until the dough becomes too difficult to mix.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until the flour is incorporated. Continue to add flour, as needed, until the dough becomes elastic and is no longer sticking to your hands. *Tip: lightly flour your hands before kneading to reduce the amount of dough that sticks to your hands.
Lightly mist the mixing bowl with cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let raise for roughly 1 hour to 1.5 hours. The dough should roughly double in size.
Make the Filling & Stuff the Bread Pockets
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
When the dough is nearly done rising, begin making the filling. Warm half of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onions, garlic, and bell peppers to the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until the peppers become tender. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from their casings and add them to the hot pan. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Drain any rendered grease from the pan and lightly pat the sausage with paper towel. Season with Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the peppers. Add the cheese and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside to cool as you prepare the dough pockets.
Divide the dough into 10 balls. Roll each ball out with a rolling pin until it’s roughly 1/4″ thick. Spoon the filling into one half of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling. Crimp the edges together with your fingers or with a fork. Transfer the pockets to a baking sheet.
Repeat until all of the dough is used. You will likely have a little leftover filling. Bake the dough pockets for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden on the outside. Enjoy immediately. We recommend serving these with a marinara dipping sauce.
How to Store
Store leftover sausage stuffed bread pockets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We like to lightly line the container with paper towel to remove moisture, keeping the dough from getting wet and gluey. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until warmed throughout.
Recipe Variations
- Meat – we love switching between chicken and turkey sausage, but pork sausage, ground beef, ground chicken, and ground turkey work well too.
- Veggies – if we’re feeling like going back to the more traditional cabbage bread recipe, we’ll through in a few cups of shredded cabbage when we’re cooking the filling. Or try seasonal produce, like zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, or kale.
- Cheese – mozzarella is the default because it makes these pockets taste like pizza, but sub in any variety, like cheddar, pepper jack, Munster, Gouda, feta, Parmesan, or goat cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons why your dough might not be rising. You could have used expired yeast, which won’t activate. The temperature of the water may have been too cold, preventing yeast activation, or too hot, killing the yeast. The water needs to be warm to the touch to activate the yeast properly. Or you may not have kneaded the dough enough. Kneading helps trap air pockets and develops the gluten structures, which in turn give the dough lift and structure.
Once you have placed the filling on one half of the rolled out dough, pull the other side over the filling until both edges overlap. Use either your fingers or a fork to firmly pinch the sides together, sealing along the entire edge of the dough.
The bread should only need about 15-20 minutes to bake. It should appear lightly golden brown on the tops and feel like a slight crust has formed. The dough should not be doughy to the touch.
Check Out Our Other Sausage Dishes
- Sausage pizza zucchini boats
- Sausage and spinach lasagna
- Roasted red pepper pasta
- Apple chicken sausage skillet
- Sausage spaghetti squash
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Sausage Stuffed Bread Pockets
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- â…” c warm water
- 1 pkg active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
Chicken Sausage Filling
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 red or yellow bell peppers, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1.25 lb Italian chicken or turkey sausage, casings removed (or sub pork sausage or ground beef)
- 1½ c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Bread Dough
- Combine warm water, yeast, and honey in a medium mixing bowl. Add oil and salt. Stir in flour. Mix until the flour is incorporated or until the dough becomes too difficult to mix.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until the flour is incorporated. Continue to add flour, as needed, until the dough becomes elastic and is no longer sticking to your hands. *Tip: lightly flour your hands before kneading to reduce the amount of dough that sticks to your hands.
- Lightly mist the mixing bowl with cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let raise for roughly 1 hour to 1.5 hours. The dough should roughly double in size.
Chicken Sausage Filling
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When the dough is nearly done rising, begin making the filling. Warm half of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onions, garlic, and bell peppers to the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until the peppers become tender. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from their casings and add them to the hot pan. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Drain any rendered grease from the pan and lightly pat the sausage with paper towel. Season with Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the peppers. Add the cheese and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside to cool as you prepare the dough pockets.
- Divide the dough into 10 balls. Roll each ball out with a rolling pin until it's roughly 1/4" thick. Spoon the filling into one half of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling. Crimp the edges together with your fingers or with a fork. Transfer the pockets to a baking sheet.
- Repeat until all of the dough is used. You will likely have a little leftover filling. Bake the dough pockets for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden on the outside. Enjoy immediately. We recommend serving these with a marinara dipping sauce.
Never thought about using chicken sausage for these before! It sounds really yummy!