Herb & sausage stromboli

I accidentally published tomorrow’s post while editing it today. Shari retires to the couch in horror, appalled at having inconvenienced her readers with two emails (no! no!! what twist of demon fates is this? three emails!) in one day. Ryan insists that she get over it.

One large day of silence coming right up.

*****

Confession: In my opinion, fall is the best time of year for cooking… the season when all is spices and warmth, breads and richness, harvest and home and comfort.

Here’s a tasty, satisfying Stromboli I tried out on my family last week, and had to make a second time already. I don’t have an exact recipe for the filling, but I got the idea from my friend Carla, one of the best cooks I know.

I used my regular pizza crust recipe…

1/2 T. yeast
1/2 T. sugar
2/3 cup warm water

• Mix first three ingredients and let rest 5 minutes.

1 T. oil
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of garlic powder
1/4 t. oregano
1 and 3/4 cup flour (hi-gluten is best for extra-soft dough)

• Add remaining ingredients, and let mixer knead slowly for 5-10 minutes. Cover and let rise till double.

…only I tossed in additional herbs! Parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme.

Creamed Sausage Filling:

Sauté bulk sausage, sprinkled with salt, until brown. Stir in a couple tablespoons of flour.

Add a bit of water and enough milk to make a gravy. You want the mixture to be dominated by sausage, with enough liquid filling to hold it together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer till thick.

Roll out dough onto countertop. Lay sliced or shredded white cheese atop dough. Spread with creamed sausage filling.

Fold dough over filling, pinching seam and ends to seal. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden.

Ahhhhh.

What do you love to cook when the weather turns nippy?