Murphy Bread

Makes 1 large or 2-3 small loaves

Made by Nathalie Dupree, Atlanta chef, for Braves baseball player Dale Murphy. This is a picnic sandwich that you can take along to the ballyard.

ingredients

Dough:
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 pkg rapid-rise yeast
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2/3 c. water, heated to 125 degrees
3 T. butter
1 egg
Filling:
1 1/2 T. Pesto
1/4 c. black olives, Nicoise work best
3/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. crumbled garlic and herb cheese
6 oz. smoked ham, cut into strips
1/2 c. roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded
1 T. sun dried tomatoes, drained of oil and chopped (optional)
Glaze:
1 egg, beaten
1 T. water
Garlic and Herb Cheese:
1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. butter, room temperature
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 T. chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, marjoram or thyme
salt and pepper to taste

directions

1
Garlic Herb Cheese:
2
Blend cream cheese, butter and garlic in food processor til smooth. Add the herbs and combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Can be made one week ahead, covered tightly and refrigerated.
3
Assemble the loaves:
4
In a food processor or mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the water, butter and egg to the yeast mixture. Process or knead, adding enough flour in 1/2 c. increments, to make a soft dough. Knead until elastic an smooth as a baby’s bottom, 1 minute in a food processor, 10 minutes in a mixer or by hand. Place in a plastic bag or turn in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 15 minutes or if you have time, let it double.
5
On a slightly floured board, roll the dough to a 14x10 rectangle. Place on greased baking sheet. Spread pesto sauce down the center third of dough, lengthwise. Dot with olives, mozzarella and garlic herb cheese. Top with ham strips and sprinkle with peppers and optional sun dried tomatoes.
6
To encase the filling, cut the unfilled dough diagonally on each side into 1 inch strips down the length of each side of the dough. Criss-cross the strips, bringing one strip over the center, then a strip from the other, until the length of the filling is encased with the overlapping strips. Let double, uncovered, in a warm place for 1/2 hour.
7
Preheat oven to 400. combine the egg and water and brush the glaze on the loaf. Bake until done, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
8
Variations: Dough can be divided to make 2 loaves, half as long but the same width. Reduce baking time by 5 minutes.
9
Can substitute goat cheese or Boursin for garlic herb cheese.