Italian Party Bread

If an Italian deli exploded inside a loaf of bread, it’d be this crispy meat- and cheese-stuffed braid made easy with just 5 ingredients, including pre-made pizza dough. Feel free to use homemade dough and/or turn this Italian party into a Spanish one using Serrano ham and Manchego cheese–or even a French one with Gruyere and Dijon!

Step: 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Step: 2

Place pizza dough on a floured surface and roll into a rectangular shape between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch thick, letting dough relax occasionally if it keeps springing back. Spread pesto on top, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge. Top evenly with provolone cheese, prosciutto, and peppers.

Step: 3

Roll up tightly in the direction that gives you the most length, ending with the seam on the bottom. Press down to flatten slightly and dust the top lightly with flour. Use a pizza wheel to cut dough lengthwise into 3 long, even strips using a pizza wheel.

Step: 4

Place strips next to each other but not touching, the middle strip cut-side up and the other two cut-sides facing in. Braid them together, then curl the ends in to form a round wreath shape, tucking any loose ends under the loaf. Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step: 5

Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Per Serving: 280 calories; protein 12g; carbohydrates 28.5g; fat 12.7g; cholesterol 19.3mg; sodium 714.6mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal bread , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A bread first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it night before , then finish it off the next day.