Helen's Stuffed Braided Pizza Bread

Have you met Helen at our bakery? Not only is she great with customers, we love that she's also always coming up with ideas for how to use our baking at home.

Last week she brought home some of our pizza dough and used it to make a stuffed braided pizza bread. She says it's easy to make and wanted to share her tips on how to do it.

Helen started with a ball of our white pizza dough. We sell it frozen, so just thaw it before you're ready to use it. Roll it into a thin rectangle and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cut 1.5-2" wide strips along each edge. Here's a drawing showing where to cut:

Spread pizza sauce (you could even try some spreadable cream cheese) down the middle. Top with your favorite cheese and toppings. For the toppings, just be sure not to choose anything too juicy, since that will make the dough soggy. If you really want to use something juicy, like fresh zucchini, pan fry it first to get most of the moisture out. Helen's favorite toppings include bell peppers, onions, olives, ham, salami and cooked turkey.

Starting at the top, fold each of the cut strips over the middle and slightly angled towards the bottom, alternating strips from the right and left. If you know how to braid, this should be easy to do. Tuck in the ends. Bake at 350° F until golden brown. Helen has a convection oven and she suggests 18-20 minutes. For a traditional oven, you'll want to add a few minutes.

Do you have a favorite way to use our pizza dough? Let Helen know the next time you're at the bakery!