Who Doesn’t Love a Stuffed Braided Bread?

Perhaps you have mastered our easy enriched dough recipe that we promised had endless possibilities and wanted to see what else you could make. How about a stuffed braided bread? And what if we played off our rich heritage and made a fancier WV pepperoni roll? We are doing that today by making a stuffed braided bread with Italian deli meats and cheeses.

You are going to love this savory stuffed braided bread recipe! It is full of pepperoni, salami, provolone and mozzarella. But the great thing about this bread is you can use any type of deli meat. Or even your favorite precooked meat such as ground chuck. So let’s get on to making the bread!

Step-By-Step Instructions

To make the braided bread, you begin by kneading the dough. After it has risen you will then shape the dough. It is not a difficult braid to master, the hardest part is waiting around for the dough to rise.

Step 1: Heat the Milk

In a small saucepan, heat the milk on medium until it is lukewarm. You can also heat it in the microwave 30 – 60 seconds. It should be just warm to the touch, but not hot. If you have a thermometer, the milk should reach 110°F or 43°C. You don’t want it too hot or it will kill the yeast. Pour the warmed milk into a large bowl.

Step 2: Add all the Ingredients

You have two options here. You can add all the ingredients at once and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Or you can add the milk, sugar, butter, oil, yeast and salt to the bowl. Leave this mixture a few minutes to hydrate. Then you can add the flour and mix.

This second option is a good idea if you are not sure if your yeast is still good. It will foam up slightly within 5 – 10 minutes. If you are using active dry yeast, follow the packet instructions as it often wants you to let the yeast to “bloom” in the warmed milk for a length of time prior to adding any additional ingredients and the time is often dependent on the brand of yeast used.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients Together

Stir the mixture with the handle of a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

After you form a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Knead 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough stretches easily without tearing. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on the appropriate speed for kneading dough and allow the dough to mix for 8 – 12 minutes or until it is elastic and stretches easily without tearing.

Step 5: Let the Dough Relax and Rise

Now the dough needs to rest. Set the dough back inside the bowl you mixed it in and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place it away from drafts, small children and pets. Allow the dough to rest until it doubles in size.

This can take 1 – 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. For some guidance, it typically takes around 90 minutes at temperatures between 70°F – 72°F (21°C – 22°C.) Once the dough has doubled in volume, you can move onto the next step.

Step 6: Roll the Dough into a Rectangle and Prepare for the Braid

Gently deflate the dough and roll into a 9 x 15″ rectangle (23 x 38 cm.) The dough will want to bounce back into a smaller shape at first. Allow it to do so and just continue roll. The dough will start to stretch more easily as you roll. If your dough is sticking to the counter, sprinkle a little flour under the dough as you shape the rectangle.

On each 15″ side of the rectangle, cut 15 strips 3” long x 1” wide (7.6 x 2.5cm) for the braiding. Leave the center intact to be filled. Next cut off one strip of dough from each of the dough’s four corners. You will now have 13 strips on each side. By removing the dough in the corners, you will now have two “tabs” of dough in the center on each end.

It should look similar to this. Don’t worry if the strips aren’t exact. Ours is a little off. It still braids beautifully.

In no particular order, layer the center with the pepperoni, salami, mozzarella and provolone. You can double the amount of meat in the recipe but stick with the same amount of cheese. Increasing the cheese will delay rising, baking and often just spills out onto the baking tray and makes a mess. We tried. Several times as we love cheese. We failed several times.

Feel free to use any type of meats and cheese you like. Ham and swiss, turkey and cheddar, ground beef and american cheese. The possibilities are endless.

Step 7: Braid the Dough

First, fold in the center tabs of dough.

Next, beginning on either the left or right side, pick up the first strip of dough and gently bring it across the filling diagonally.

Repeat the process on the opposite side, so that the two strips crisscross each other.

Continue down the length of the dough, alternating strips to form the braid.

The braid will remind you of those cartoon mummies. I bet this would be a fun recipe for fall! When you get to the end, your braids may need tucked under the loaf to make the appearance look neater. Feel free to do so.

Wasn’t that easy? Now we need to transfer it to our baking sheet.

Place the braid carefully on a nonstick baking sheet. If your baking sheet isn’t nonstick, use parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. If this step is giving you difficulty, next time you can stuff and braid the bread directly on the baking sheet or parchment.

Step 8: Rest and Let Rise

Cover the braid with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest 30 – 60 minutes or until the dough puffs up. It took our bread about 45 minutes in a 70°F (21°C) room to get nice and puffy. It could take as little as 20 minutes in a hot room or up to 120 in a cold room. So it’s best to look at the size of your dough and not the time.

If you are wondering where the roll came from, we just gathered up the scraps of dough we cut off and rolled them into a ball. No sense in wasting it when you can have a tasty roll!

When the dough is getting close to double in size, turn on your oven to preheat it. You want to bake enriched doughs at a lower temperature to avoid over-browning or drying out your dough, so we are going to bake at 350°F (180°C.)

Step 9: Bake

If you haven’t done so already, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C.) Remove the cover after the braid has risen and bake 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, you can brush on an egg wash for a shiny and golden crust. We usually skip this step to save money. The center temperature of the bread should reach 190°F (88°C) when done.

Let sit 5 – 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool or serve while still warm. It is important you let this sit for at least 5 minutes as the filling is pipping hot. Ever burn yourself eating pizza? Same concept applies here. The grease from the cheese and meats will be extremely hot when it first comes out of the oven.

The oils from the meat will absorb into the bread and it gives an even better taste to the bread. I’ll be surprised if you have any leftovers the first time you make this recipe. But be warned: it is high in calories, fat and sodium. So try to pace yourself.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this recipe.

• Any type of deli meat and cheese can be used in this recipe in equal amounts. Try ham and swiss cheese. Or turkey and cheddar!
• Up to 8 ounces (226g) of deli meat can be used. More than that and it will inhibit the rise of the bread while baking and lead to a soggy crust.
• We do not recommend any more cheese as we found it spills out of the braids and onto the baking sheet and often burns before the bread is fully baked.
• Adding the butter in at the beginning slows down gluten formation, which slows down the kneading process. Holding it back frees up a few minutes and changes the texture of the bread to be more fluffy after baking.
• Fat-free, 2%, whole milk or buttermilk can be all be used for this recipe. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but fat-free tastes excellent! For a tang, try buttermilk.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30mL) of milk to get a smooth dough as whole wheat absorbs liquid more readily.
• Yes you can use soy, almond or other milk substitutes for this recipe. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour (9-18g) as milk substitutes are often thinner than cow’s milk.
• Any type of cooking oil can be used for this recipe. Canola and vegetable oils will give a neutral taste.
• Melted coconut oil or butter can be substituted for the oil in this recipe.
• Margarine or vegetable spread can be used in place of the butter for this recipe in equal amounts.
• Want your bread glossy? Brush with an egg wash prior to baking.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it, especially ones made with fillings. However, these will store up to three days in the refrigerator before they go stale. Let the braided loaf cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag. For best taste, reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5 – 10 minutes or until warm. If microwaving, be careful as the filling can become piping hot. Let sit for 1 – 2 minutes before eating.

This stuffed braided bread freezes well up to 1 month, but it is best to freeze the dough raw after shaping the braid. To freeze dough, freeze on a baking sheet for one hour. Transfer the braid to a freezer safe storage bag or container. By freezing the braid uncooked, it can be kept frozen up to 3 months. Thaw the dough covered overnight in the refrigerator and follow the baking directions as guided in the recipe. Frozen baked bread can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes.