Mushroom and Olive Stuffed Cheese Bread

Family get togethers and snacks or just snacks for a weekday afternoon.  Something quick and tasty to take along on a picnic or just to enjoy with family while watching a movie; add this to a hot bowl of soup and you have a meal.   This Mushroom and Olive Stuffed Cheese Bread would be a great lunch to pack for the kids to take in their school lunch or the Husband/Wife to take to work.  I had come across a recipe for a Cheese Bread in the Food Network Magazine and added my own touches to it - I though the original recipe needed more 'substance' so I added finely minced mushrooms and black olives.  I also served this Cheese Bread with a small bowl of ' tomato dipping sauce', you can dip it into Ranch Dressing or something with a kick by adding some hot sauce to the tomato sauce - I think whatever your family likes!  Enjoy. 

Mushroom & Olive Stuffed Cheese Bread

The ingredients you will need.

The dough has been mixed together, kneaded and left to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Beautifully risen dough ready for the stuffing.

First half of the dough rolled out and ready to be filled.

Mozzarella cheese, finely chopped mushrooms and olives,

for stuffing inside.

Fold the dough over the stuffing and seal the edges.

Cut into 1 inch strips 1/4 of the way through and sprinkle

with the cheddar cheese/herb mixture.  Place on some

parchment paper and it's ready for the oven.

Close up view of the cuts and sprinkled cheese topping.

  

Oh it's cheesy, gooey and so very good.

All that's needed is the dip.  Enjoy!

MUSHROOM & OLIVE STUFFED CHEESE BREAD RECIPE

For the Dough;

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (I like Bread Machine Yeast

because you can mix in right in with the dry ingredients)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 cup warm water

 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Filling;

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped fine

1/4 cup sliced olives, chopped fine

1 teaspoon dried parsley and oregano

Make the dough:
Whisk the dry ingredients together, add the olive oil and water

and stir until it comes together, then put onto a floured counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, dusting with flour as needed.  Put into a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Make the filling:

Toss 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, the cheddar and pecorino, garlic salt, granulated garlic and dried parsley and oregano in a bowl. In another bowl mix the rest of the mozzarella with the mushrooms and olives and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the dough into two pieces and roll our each piece into an 8 - 10 inch rectangle

Sprinkle half of the mushroom/olive/cheese mixture onto one side of the dough and

fold over and seal the edges well.  Do the same with the other piece of dough.

Take a sharp knife and cut slits 1/4 of the way through the dough - one inch width in between pieces -

Sprinkle the cheese and herb mixture on top of the cut and stuffed dough.

Place in hot oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until baked through and the cheese is golden brown.

Let cool slightly and then pull apart into 'breadsticks' or slice into pieces. 

'I would like to live the way the river flows: carried out by the surprise of it's own unfolding.'

John O'Donohue