Mozzarella cheese and sausage are stuffed into pizza dough and baked for an easy appetizer or main meal that’s always a crowd pleaser. Don’t forget to dunk your slice of sausage bread in warm marinara sauce!
Is It Pizza? Is It Bread? It’s Both!
This sausage bread is oh-so cheesy, with a slathering of garlic butter on top just because.
It’s essentially a sausage stromboli that’s made by wrapping pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) around juicy Italian sausage crumbles, plenty of shredded mozzarella, and a couple handfuls of spinach.
If your pizza dough is already prepped and ready to go, you can have this sausage bread finished in about an hour. I’ve served it as a quick game day appetizer as well as a hearty main dish, and it works equally well for both occasions.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pizza dough — You could use store-bought dough if you like. Or, you can make your own from scratch. Or, you use one of these handy dandy pizza dough kits like the one I used today.
- Ground Italian sausage — I used mild Italian sausage in this pizza bread recipe, but I bet roughly chopped pepperoni would work well too. For a spicier sausage bread, use hot Italian sausage instead of mild, or add extra red pepper flakes to the filling.
- Dried herbs and spices — The Italian sausage is already chockfull of flavor, but I still like to doctor it up with fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano.
- Fresh baby spinach — Can be swapped with kale, sautéed veggies, or omitted entirely.
- Egg — Acts as a binder, keeping all the ingredients together instead of running all over the place.
- Cheese — For an extra gooey filling, I used shredded mozzarella (snag the low-moisture kind, not the fresh balls packed in liquid). I also added a sprinkling of Parm on top.
- Garlic butter — Melted butter is mixed with a little oil, oregano, and garlic for a flavorful finishing touch.
- Flaked sea salt — Just a sprinkling after the bread comes out of the oven brings the entire dish together.
How to Make Sausage Bread (+ Photos!)
- Brown and season the sausage. Use a wooden spatula to break the sausage into tiny crumbles so it’s easier to fold into the pizza dough. Add the fresh spinach at the very end so that it wilts into the meat.
- Make the filling. Let the sausage mixture cool down before mixing it with the egg, shredded mozzarella, and spices.
- Fill the pizza dough. Either roll or press the pizza dough into a large rectangle, then spread the sausage mixture over top, leaving a border around the edges. Fold down the edges (this prevents the filling from leaking out) and then roll the pizza dough into a large log.
Heidi’s Tip: If your pizza dough springs back when you try to roll or massage it into place, let it rest for 5-10 minutes so the gluten relaxes. Then go back and give it another go.
- Bake. I was craving an extra garlicky punch so I borrowed a technique from my favorite garlic rolls (also made with pizza dough!) and with about 10 minutes of baking remaining, I bathed my cheesy sausage bread in a garlic-infused butter and then sprinkled it with a dusting of parmesan cheese.
- Slice and serve warm. I can’t eat pizza dough without dipping it into something so my homemade marinara sauce was the perfect solution. (Ranch dressing would have also been a good dipping sauce choice if I was reliving my college days. Aw, hell. Who am I kidding? I still love ranch for crusty dipping.)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Cheesy Garlic Sausage Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 egg , lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano , divided
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- Flaked sea salt
- marinara sauce , for dipping
Garlic Butter
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat, crumble the sausage into the pan. Crush the fennel seeds between your fingers and sprinkle over the sausage, then add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in the baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk the beaten egg with ½ teaspoon oregano and the garlic salt. Stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese. Add the sausage and spinach mixture and combine well.
- Assemble. Place the pizza dough on a counter topped with a dusting of flour. Roll or massage the dough into a rectangle about 10 inches X 14 inches so that the long side faces you. Spread the sausage and cheese mixture onto the dough, leaving a ½ inch border and gently press the mixture into the dough. Fold about ½ inch of the short side into the middle. Working on the long side closest to you, roll the dough into a log and pinch the seam into the dough, placing the log seam down on the parchment paper then moving the parchment to a baking sheet.
- Bake. Brush the dough with 1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with ½ teaspoon oregano. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Make the garlic butter. While the dough is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon oregano and the garlic cloves.
- Top bread with garlic butter, then return to oven. Remove the sausage bread from the oven and brush it with the olive oil and garlic mixture, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for and additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven, brush with the remaining garlic oil and sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes then slice and serve warm with marinara sauce.
Nutrition
More Italian Appetizers You’ll Love, Too
More Easy Pizza Recipes
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Lillian
Can I make the day before and cook the next day?
While I haven’t ever made this ahead of time, I think you probably could.
Ranju
This is may favorite pizza and it teast is very delicious .
Harry E. Bartlett
Oh i love the foods but it seems really hard to make it. I don’t know I can do it or not. Any way I think i’ll love the taste.
Thanks
Hancadiet
Great and healthy .
H
Amin007
Thanks for Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread recipe, I like your photographs too.
Cong Yao
Pizza is my more favorite . Like your post .
Florence
The photos are lovely and great.
http://www.patagoniashoponline.com
Ceramic Cookware
Dear Heidi, Thank you for your excellent article on Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread. By the way, I wish you could add video in this article but the images were awesome. Keep the great writing skill up. Thanks again for giving me a good resource. I love this recipe. It’s fast, easy and delicious. I really appreciate if you’ve added the nutrition facts. Waiting for your reply!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
This would really hit the spot right now…it’s cold, snowing and all I want it some cheesy comfort food!
Gaby Dalkin
I love that this can totally be a game day snack!
Kari
That looks delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
Oh my goodness! First of all, I can’t believe I didn’t know it was national cheese lovers day! A day MADE for me (seriously, I bought cheese at the store yesterday but forgot milk, so I sent Lucas out to get milk. He came home with milk and more cheese JUST IN CASE). I’m all about sneaking veggies in where ever possible – hopefully #cheesebabygirl will like spinach as much as she likes cheese;) Thank you so much for this ooey gooey tribute and for your sweet words – I’m so lucky to have met so many insanely sweet and talented folks through our blogs and you’re one of them – xoxo!
So happy for you and look at all these people who love and admire you! Congratulations!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan
Today was NOT the day to skip breakfast. Cheesy sausage bread is a totally acceptable breakfast right?? This looks so amazing Heidi!
Well Karen, considering that my husband had two slices with fried eggs on top…I’d say its perfectly acceptable as breakfast. Also went with my daughter for school lunch to dip in her tomato soup!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
Oh that last Pic of Sarah is just stunning… what a beautiful image! She’ll love this cheesy pizza, Heidi. What a great way to enjoy pizza in a different way… and the ranch is a must! Will be checking out your roasted tomato sauce.. so good! Thank you for this my dear!
Isn’t she adorable pregnant? She looks like a fairy princess! Thanks Traci!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life
That pizza bread looks just about perfect to me. I love mixing sausage with spinach! It would definitely be a big hit on game day, but I want it for lunch today!
Oh Tracy. If only you were closer I could make that happen. Thanks for the note! :)