Sausage Loaf Bread (Pao de Calabresa)
Warm, soft Sausage Loaf Bread (Pão de Calabresa) filled with savory sausage—perfect for family gatherings!
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan recommend using metal or silicone. Don't use ceramic.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups Whole Milk (100F° or less) 10.9 oz / 312 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Granulated Yeast 0.18 oz / 5 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt 0.28 oz / 8 grams
- 2 tablespoons Sugar 1 oz / 28 grams
- 2 tablespoons Melted Unsalted Butter 1 oz / 28 grams or 1/4 stick
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour 15 oz / 425 grams
- 2 Double Smoked Farmer sausages
- Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp liquid) for brushing
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients, starting with everything except the flour. Mix until combined, then add the flour last.
- Mix the Dough: Use a spoon or a Danish whisk to incorporate the flour. No kneading is needed.
- First Rest: Cover the dough (not airtight) and let it rest at room temperature for 2 or more hours or until it doubles in size
- Refrigerate (Optional): For easier handling, place the dough in the fridge after resting for 2 hours or more. Cold dough is simpler to shape, but you can skip this step if you want to bake right away.
- Prepare Sausage Filling:Try to remove most of the casing by running a knife along the sausage and peeling it off. Don’t stress if some casing remains—it’s fine! Grate the sausages using the coarse side of a grater, and discard any larger pieces of casing that come off during grating.
- Cook the grated sausage in a nonstick skillet for about 3- 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. ( this is an optional step since the sausage I buy is already fully cooked, see notes)
- Roll the Dough: On a floured surface, roll the dough into a flat, rectangular shape using a rolling pin. Spread the cooled sausage filling in the center of the rectangle.
- Shape the Dough: Starting with the longer side, roll the dough into a log. Shape the log into a ‘U’ and cut each side of the ‘U’ lengthwise. Braid each side and transfer the dough to your greased loaf pan.
- Second Rest: Let the shaped dough rest for another hour or more at room temperature, or until it doubles in size.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 180–190°F (82–88°C).
- Cool and Serve: Let the bread cool down before slicing to avoid a gummy texture. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Important Tips
- Allow Enough Rising Time: Dough rising time depends on your kitchen's temperature. It may take longer in colder seasons, so let the dough double in size for a super fluffy loaf.
- Adjust Sausage Amount: Use more or less sausage depending on your personal preference.
- Sausage Prep: The sausage I use is fully cooked and will bake further in the oven. Skillet cooking is optional but adds crispiness if you prefer.
- Egg Wash: To make an egg wash, whisk one egg with 1 tablespoon of milk, cream, or water.
- Shaping Help: Want to see how I shape the bread? Save this recipe and stay tuned for a video tutorial!
- Calories Are Estimates: Nutritional values provided are approximate.
- Doubling the Recipe: This dough is perfect for doubling! Leftover dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week after the first proof.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.
- Storage Tip: For the first two days, cover the dough but avoid using an airtight container—it needs room to breathe. After that, you can transfer it to a sealed container.
- Versatile Dough: Use the extra dough to make another loaf of sausage bread or skip the sausage and make my Wool Bread instead. The recipes are essentially the same, differing only in shaping, egg wash, and filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 2600kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
