Vanita's Sausage Bread

My mom has made this for over 30 years. It is always delicious and a family favorite!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 40 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 6  cups flour
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1  lb mild Italian sausage or 1  lb hot Italian sausage
• 1  egg, beaten
• 2 (1/4ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄4 cups water, scalding
• 1  lb mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
2. Work in butter until mixture looks like crumbs for pie dough.
3. Mix in scalding water.
4. Stir in 3 cups flour.
5. Turn onto a foured surface and knead in 1 cup flour.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (1 1/2 hours).
7. While dough rises, prepare filling.
8. Remove any sausage casings.
9. Crumble and brown sausage in a skillet.
10. Drain and cool cooked sausage.
11. When cool, stir in egg and cheese, set aside.
12. Punch down dough.
13. Divde dough into two portions.
14. Roll one portion into an 18x12 inch rectangle.
15. Spread 1/2 of the sausage filling onto dough, up to 1/2-inch from the edges.
16. Starting on long edge, roll up rectangle jellyroll fashion.
17. Seal center seam and ends.
18. Place roll seam down on a baking sheet.
19. Repeat process with the remaining dough and filling.
20. Let rise 1/2 hour.
21. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375°F.