Spicy Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Beer Bread

This savory, cheesy bread can be drizzled with a fine extra-virgin olive oil, dipped in pizza sauce, and served as an appetizer, or as the perfect accompaniment to soak up the gravy of your favorite pasta dish! Buon appetito!

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 343 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ tablespoon dried basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle IPA beer
• 10 ounces spicy Italian sausage
• ½ (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ¼ cup green olives, drained and sliced
• ¼ cup black olives, drained and sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Step 2

Whisk beer, 2 tablespoons olive oil, eggs, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step 3

Mix flour, Parmesan cheese, baking powder, oregano, basil, and thyme together in a separate bowl. Stir into the beer mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, to avoid clumping.

Step 4

Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; cook and stir until slightly browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain mixture well in a colander, catching the grease in a pan or a bowl. Discard the strained grease and set mixture aside.

Step 5

Stir sausage mixture, Cheddar cheese, 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, green olives, and black olives into the dough until ingredients are evenly distributed; do not overmix. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top of the loaf, brush with melted butter, and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes; check the bread periodically to be sure cheese doesn't burn during this phase. Transfer bread to a cooling rack until ready to slice and serve.