Bread Machine Magic: Loaded Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bread

 

Finally, after four attempts, the undented refrigerator arrived on Friday afternoon—and it's perfect! I'm over the moon. Now I can finally transfer everything from the upright freezer in the laundry room to the spacious central freezer in the kitchen, and move all those refrigerated items from the downstairs fridge back upstairs where they belong. No more trudging up and down those steps every day—my knees are thanking me already. I'm officially back in full kitchen business!

The delivery guys showed up surprisingly on time (early afternoon, no less) and were two absolute delights. The moment they stepped inside, they sniffed the air and asked, “Where's the pizza? We want a slice!” I laughed and explained it was my experimental pizza bread baking away in the bread machine. They were so disappointed it wasn't ready yet—they missed out on something truly special.

  And oh boy, this bread turned out phenomenal. Number two son, Andrew, stopped by to help with a few things and left with some slices. I have to say, this is hands-down the best bread I've ever made in my machine. The loaf isn't huge, probably because it’s packed with goodies—I just kept tossing in “this would be good” and “that would be good” until it was loaded. The surprise star? Those thick 3-inch deli pepperoni slices I quartered. They mostly melted into little flavorful flecks throughout the loaf, infusing every bite with magnificent pepperoni taste. Next time, I'll cut them in half for bigger pockets of goodness.

The cheeses swirled beautifully (see the photo!), and it was heavenly sliced thick for sandwiches or cut into sticks and dipped in marinara. Pure bliss!

Ultimate Pizza Bread (Bread Machine Recipe)
 (Makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf)

1 c. warm water*
¼ c. light olive oil
3 c. bread flour

1 T. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. minced dried onion
½ t. dried basil
½ t. Italian seasoning
2 t. bread machine yeast
½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 c. pepperoni slices**, quartered
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Add the first 11 ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order recommended by your manufacturer.

Select the basic bread setting and medium crust color.

Just before the final kneading cycle (when the machine beeps), add the pepperoni, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

DO NOT use the delay timer for this recipe.

When the cycle finishes, remove the loaf to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

 *I microwave it for 30 seconds.

**Note: I used 9 thick (3-inch wide) slices from the deli.

Enjoy this loaded, cheesy, pepperoni-packed treat—it's like pizza in bread form!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.