pat's Recipe

Spinach Pizza Bread - Vivianos on the Hill - St Louis

Category: BREADS

4 cups (5 ounces) lightly packed torn fresh
spinach or 1/2 of a 10 ounce package
frozen chopped spinach
1 16-oz loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a 2-ounce can anchovies, drained and
cut up (optional)
marinara sauce for dipping

Lightly grease a 9x5x3-inch or 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside.
In a large saucepan or skillet, bring 1/4 cup water to boiling. Add the fresh spinach; reduce heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes or til spinach just wilts, stirring once or twice. (cook frozen spinach according to pkg directions)
Drain the spinach in a colander. Press and squeeze very well to remove as much of the excess liquid as possible. Set the spinach aside.
Roll the bread dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. In a medium bowl, combine oil, garlic and anchovies, if you like. Stir in the drained spinach. Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides.
Roll up the dough into a spiral, starting fron a short side. Moisten dough and pinch seams with your fingertips to seal. Place the loaf in the prepared pan, seam side down. Cover; let rise in warm place till nearly doubled (45 minutes).
Bake in a 375F oven 30-40 minutes or till bread sounds hollow when you tap it. (If necessary cover loosely with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning)
Remove bread from pan. Cool on rack.
Makes 1 loaf