APRON STRINGS

Sunday, May 29, 2011

BRAIDED PIZZA

All you need is one loaf frozen bread dough (or however many you prefer), ground beef (if you’re baking one loaf  1/2- lb), pepperoni, pizza sauce and your choice of cheese.





The dough takes a few hours to rise, so I take it out in the morning and place a towel over it. Once it has risen, you spray a cookie sheet and press out the dough into a large rectangle.


Then you spread out the sauce, lay the meats down, followed by the cheese.

Then with a scissors, start cutting about 1 inch thick strips down the whole rectangle. You want to make the strips on each side the same size and make sure you have the same amount. Don’t get frustrated your first time, it takes a few times to get the braiding down.
You take the first strip and pull it down to the second strip on the other side. You then take the first strip on the other side and do the same. Keep braiding all the way down and make sure to tuck in the ends or the sauce will spill out during baking.


A few minutes before it’s done I brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and Mrs. Dash. I then bake at around 325 until golden brown.
There are so many versions you can make of this braid: Philly cheesesteak,  Parmesan chicken or almost anything! You can even make dessert braids like apple cream cheese or cinnamon roll.