Party Bread

Ingredients

  • 1⁄2 of the pizza dough recipe (or 12–16 oz pizza dough)
  • pesto
  • provolone cheese (~9 slices, 1⁄2 lb)
  • prosciutto (~6 slices, 1⁄4 lb)
  • ~6 pickled banana peppers or jalapeños

Also good

  • 1⁄2 of the pizza dough recipe
  • pesto or salsa
  • cheddar cheese
  • pepperoni
  • pickled jalapeños

Method

Prep

  • If the dough is frozen, take it out a few hours ahead of time
  • Finely dice the peppers
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch leakage
    • Add a silicon mat on top

Make the bread

  • Preheat oven to 450°F
  • Lightly flour your work surface with bread flour
  • Roll out the dough to a rectangular shape ~1⁄8″ thick
  • Spread a layer of pesto, leaving an ~inch uncovered on all sides
  • Add a single layer of cheese
  • Add a single layer of meat
  • Sprinkle on peppers
  • Roll the way that gives you the most length
  • Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 3 long strips (leave attached at one end)
  • Turn the cut side up
  • Braid the strands together (alternate outside strands go into the middle)
  • Form the braided dough into a circle, tucking the doughy ends underneath
  • Using the bench scraper, transfer to the baking sheet
  • Place anything that fell off back on top
  • Bake at 450°F for ~30 minutes, until the bread is brown and looks amazing

References