Sage and Sausage Loaf

Slicing into this bread will reveal the hidden treasure inside! Two rolls of delicious sausages takes center stage in this savory loaf of bread. The addition of sage gives a light herby aroma. It has a lovely crust and to enjoy it to the fullest, eat it while still slightly warm. This bread is good on the first day, it is not as soft and fluffy as the Fresh Tomato and Basil Loaf on my earlier post, but it is soft enough.  I find that this bread is not a good keeper, on the second day, it has gone a little stale. Since it has the sausages as its filling, it is advisable to finish the bread by the second day.

The lovely crust.

I could not find any Mediterranean sausages, so I use black pepper sausages, really good too!

So if you intend to have this bread for dinner or late supper, make this in the afternoon, and you will enjoy it at its best, on the day it is baked.

I'm sharing this with 

Full Plate Thursday over at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Recipe Swap Thursday over at Prairie Story

Sage and Sausage Loaf

(adapted from "Bread Machine" by Jennie Shapter)
Makes 1 loaf
1 tbsp (15ml) sunflower oil
200gm (7oz) spicy Mediterranean sausages
3 eggs
2 tbsp (30ml) water
350gm (12-1/2oz) generous 3 cups unbleached white bread flour
2 tbsp (30ml) skimmed milk powder (non fat dry milk)
2 tsp (10ml) granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp (7.5ml) salt
1/4 cup (50gm/2oz) butter, melted
1 tsp (5ml) easy bake (rapid-rise) dried yeast
1 tsp (5ml) dried sage
1 egg yolk, to glaze
1 tbsp (15ml) water, to glaze

1. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the sausages. Fry them over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until cooked, turning frequently. Cool.
2. Add the eggs and water to the bread pan. Reverse the order in which you add the wet and dry ingredients if necessary.
3. Sprinkle over the flour, covering the liquid. Add the milk powder. Place the sugar, salt and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a small indent in the centre of the flour, add the yeast.
4. Set the bread machine to the dough setting; use basic raisin dough setting (if available). Press Start. Add the sage when the machine beeps or during the last 5 minutes of kneading. Lightly oil a 23x13cm/9x5in loaf tin (pan).
5. When the dough cycle has finished, place the dough on a floured surface. Knock back (punch down) gently. Roll into a rectangle 2.5cm/1in x 23cm/9in.
6. Place the sausages down the centre and roll the dough tightly around them. Place in the tin. Cover with lightly oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. To glaze, mix the yolk and water, brush over the bread and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.