Braided Pizza Bread (Edit recipe)

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Pizza bread is a fun appetizer, snack or dinner for the family. Homemade italian bread dough is braided with marinara, seasonings and cheese. Add in your favorite pizza toppings for an extra special treat!

25 minutes

35 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	318
Fat:	9 g
Carbohydrates:	41 g
Protein:	12 g
Cholesterol:	18 g
Sodium:	468 mg
Fiber:	2 g
Sugars:	4 g
Calculated per serving.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

1.25 cup Water, warm (approximately 105˚ - 110˚)
2.25 tsp Active Dry Yeast, (approximately 1 packet)
2 Tbsp Granulated White Sugar
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, (plus extra for greasing the bowl)
3.5 cups All Purpose Flour, (plus extra for kneading and rolling)
1.5 tsp Kosher Salt
1 cup Pizza Sauce, or marinara (plus extra for dipping
2 cups Italian Blended Cheese, shredded
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1.5 tsp Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend (click for recipe)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
.333 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

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Process

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Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and allow to sit for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
Add in olive oil, flour, and salt and mix with a spoon or on medium speed in a stand mixer until the dough starts to form a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed. If using a stand mixer, continue to mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when you press your finger into it.
Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into a clean bowl and add the dough. Roll the dough around in the bowl so it's covered lightly in oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Remove cover from the bowl and punch down the dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle that is approximately a half inch to one inch thick.
Spread the suace over the entire rectangle, leaving about one half inch around the edges.
Sprinkle the italian style cheese blend over the sauce and then sprinkle the garlic powder and italian seasoning over the cheese.
Starting on the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly into a large roll. Pull the dough up and in as you are rolling to create as tight of a roll as possible.
Once the dough is completely rolled up, using au00a0bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise down the middle to expose the layers of sauce and cheese.
Pinch the two strands of the dough together at the top to help secure them and then twist the strands around each other until you get to the end. Pinch the two strands together at the bottom to secure as well.u00a0
Preheat the oven to 350˚ and gently place the twisted dough on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper or foil. Lightly brush the dough with the olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Cover the dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for a second time till doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Once the bread has finished rising for the second time, uncover and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Remove bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Meat Lovers - Add cooked ground italian sausage, ground beef, bacon or ham Veggie - Add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, olives, onions or tomatoes Hawaiian - Add diced ham and canned drained pineapple tidbits Buffalo - Replace marinara with buffalo sauce and then top with shredded cooked chicken, crumbled blue cheese and mozzarella cheese Margherita - Add chopped fresh basil on top of the marinara BBQ Chicken - Replace the marinara with bbq sauce and top with shredded cooked chicken and mozzarella cheese Classic - Add pepperoni slices for a classic pepperoni pizza version A pre-packaged italian style cheese blend typically includes a combination of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheese. Mozarella, fontina, asiago, pecorino-romano or even havarti would also work.