Sausage Stuffed Bread Pockets
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.
Servings: 10 pockets
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- ⅔ 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.