Cowgirl Cuisine - Braided Pizza Bread

Happy Sunday!  Here's a fun-to-make stuffed bread idea which is similar to a stromboli or calzone and very easy to assemble.  Serve it with a salad and you've got Sunday dinner in the bag, or in the bread rather.

 

You'll need:

1 can refrigerated pizza dough

1/3 cup marinara sauce, plus more for dipping

 

Pizza toppings (any combination will do)

Italian sausage crumbles, pepperoni, onions,

bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives
or banana peppers.

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat the oven to 400 F.  Lightly coat a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.  Spread pizza dough into a 9"x13" rectangle. 

 

 

Cut eight strips on each side of the dough.  Spread the sauce down the middle.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella.  Add toppings then sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of mozzarella.

 

 

 

 

Fold end of dough in - so the goodies don't ooze out.  Then crisscross each strip, forming a braid. Fold the opposite end in before the final braid.  (Don't worry if it's not perfect - it's so good, no one will care). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and add a couple toppings for garnish.

 

 

 

 

 

Bake 18 - 20 minutes, or until dough is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and wait 5 minutes (Yes...you have to).

 

 

 

 

Slice, dip in sauce and Mangia!