Pizza Bread!

So I got a challenge to do pizza here on the blog a while back, and pizza is a hard one to make healthier or faster. But, with the exception of it not really fitting into any of those categories, it is an easy recipe, that will make you feel far more gourmet than what you'd expect! Pizza Bread is a family favorite that I grew up with, but I have found a couple cheats that help me make this little fave a bit faster! Another great thing about it is that it freezes! Which can make for a faster meal another day of the week! The credit for this recipe definitely goes to my mom!

The ingredients are simple

French Bread dough (my favorite quick recipe is HERE, you don't even need to let it rise!)

Pizza Sauce (We make our own)

Cheese

Pepperoni.

So pizza bread has a few steps, so I have provided pictures!

Instead of following the french bread recipe to completion, you are JUST making the dough. This recipe makes enough for 3 pizza bread loaves. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

 A very important step before rolling out dough is to make sure you have a floured surface.

Divide your dough into thirds(if you followed the recipe provided) 

 Roll out your dough to about 1/3 inch thickness.

 I figure I used about 1/2 a cup of sauce here

 Spread it out in a thin(ish) layer.

 This is just to show the thickness of the sauce and dough.

 Add a fair amount of shredded cheese and pepperoni. You will use quite a bit less than if you were making a normal pizza. This is because if you use the same amount your bread will never cook all the way, and you'll end up with a lot of burnt cheese on the pan. Burnt cheese is a sin to me...

Now you're just going to fold up the edges on the pizza and pinch the seams!

 Scoop up your folded pizza and kind of fold it in half on a greased pan. 

 You are then going to what will appear as destroying your creation. You are going to cut it up. and then mash it together a bit and chop some more. 

 With your pan on the center rack, bake your pizza bread at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Check the progress around 15 minutes or so to make sure it isn't burning. My oven is super tiny so things cook funny.

In the end, your pizza bread should look like this(and your house will smell amazing). Lift a couple of the pieces near the center and check to make sure it is not doughy. So it isn't the most beautiful thing, but, I promise you will love it! You can substitute a lot of things, so experiment with your favorite toppings. For a healthier version, you could easily use a wheat flour french bread recipe, and the toppings are limitless, from veggie pizza, to reduced fat pepperoni! Serve it up with a tossed salad and if you're a Ranch Dressing lover like me, I always have a little(okay big) pool of ranch to dip the Pizza Bread in. 

Enjoy friends and have fun!