Pizza Bread

Pizza bread is a fun appetizer, snack or dinner for the family. Homemade italian bread dough is braided with marinara, seasonings and cheese. Add in your favorite pizza toppings for an extra special treat!

We love making homemade pizza on Friday nights at our house. It's one of the kids favorite dinners, especially when they get to pick their own toppings. This pizza bread recipe is a fun twist on my braided pesto bread. The recipe below includes just sauce and cheese, however, you can add meat, veggies or any of your favorite pizza toppings!

Serve this delicious pizza bread alongside a bowl of minestrone soup, italian salmon or just by itself!

🍕 Ingredient notes

• Bread dough - This easy italian bread dough recipe takes just 6 simple ingredients as well as just a few minutes to put together. It has a nice mild flavor that pairs perfectly with the pizza toppings and also has a soft and fluffy texture that is irresistable!
• Marinara - I use my old school italian gravy for this and all of my pizza recipes. Alternatively you can use your favorite store bought marinara or pizza sauce.
• Cheese - I used an italian style cheese blend for this recipe that includes a combination of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses. Parmesan cheese is also added to the outside of the bread for extra flavor and texture. Mozzarella, fontina, asiago, pecorino-romano or even havarti would also be good cheeses to use for this recipe.
• Toppings - Extra toppings can be added to this pizza bread if you want, however, be careful not to overload it. Two to three toppings can be added on top of the marinara before adding the cheese and braiding the dough. See the list of suggested topping ideas below.

📋 Substitutions and Variations

• Meat Lovers - Add cooked ground italian sausage, ground beef, bacon and/or ham
• Veggie - Add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, olives, onions and/or tomatoes
• Hawaiian - Add diced ham and canned drained pineapple tidbits
• Buffalo - Replace marinara with buffalo sauce and then top with shredded cooked chicken, crumbled blue cheese and mozzarella cheese
• Margherita - Add chopped fresh basil on top of the marinara and then top with shredded mozzarella or italian style blend of cheese
• BBQ Chicken - Replace the marinara with bbq sauce and top with shredded cooked chicken and mozzarella or provolone cheese
• Classic - Add pepperoni slices for a classic pepperoni pizza version

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl and let it sit so the yeast can activate. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.

Next, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until it's smooth and it easily springs back when you press your finger into it.

Place the dough in a clean bowl drizzled with a bit of olive oil and roll it around so it's lightly covered by the oil. Cover and let it rise until it's doubled in size.

Punch down the dough to deflate it and then roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread the sauce thinly over the dough leaving about one half inch of dough around the edges.

Sprinkle the italian style cheese blend over the marinara and then sprinkle the garlic powder and italian seasoning over the cheese.

Starting on the long side, roll up the dough tightly so the sauce and cheese are on the inside.

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, split the roll of dough down the middle lengthwise to expose the layers. Pinch the top of the two strands of dough together to secure them and then twist the two strands around each other, pinching them at the bottom again to secure them.

Move the braided dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with with parmesan cheese and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Bake the pizza bread for 30-35 minutes in a 350˚ oven until golden brown.

Allow the pizza bread to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra marinara sauce for dipping!

⭐ Expert tips

• Pull the dough down slightly as you are rolling it up to make sure it is rolled up tightly.
• When adding toppings to the pizza bread, be careful not to overload it. If you add too many toppings, the bread will have a hard time staying together and rising. Two to three toppings max is preferred, in addition to sauce and cheese.
• Bake the pizza bread until it is golden brown and makes a hollow noise when tapped on with your finger.

⏲️ Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

After baking, allow the pizza bread to cool completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. The cooled pizza bread can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.

🍕 More pizza recipes

If you loved this pizza bread recipe, check out these other pizza recipes that I know you will love too!

• Cast Iron Pizza
• Italian Flatbread Pizza
• Pizza Grilled Cheese
• Breakfast Pizza

📖 Recipe

Pizza Bread

Amanda

Pizza bread is a fun appetizer, snack or dinner for the family. Homemade italian bread dough is braided with marinara, seasonings and cheese. Add in your favorite pizza toppings for an extra special treat!

5 from 39 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Rising Time 1 hr 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10 servings

Calories 296 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Pizza Bread Dough

• 1 ¼ cup warm water approximately 105˚ - 110˚
• 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast approximately 1 packet
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil plus extra for greasing the bowl
• 3 ½ cups all purpose flour plus extra for kneading and rolling
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Pizza Bread Toppings

• 1 cup italian gravy or pizza sauce (plus extra for dipping, if desired)
• 2 cups italian style shredded cheese blend
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and allow to sit for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. 
• Add in olive oil, flour, and salt and mix with a spoon or on medium speed in a stand mixer until the dough starts to form a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed. If using a stand mixer, continue to mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when you press your finger into it.
• Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into a clean bowl and add the dough. Roll the dough around in the bowl so it's covered lightly in oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
• Remove cover from the bowl and punch down the dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle that is approximately a half inch to one inch thick.
• Spread the italian gravy over the entire rectangle, leaving about one half inch around the edges.
• Sprinkle the italian style cheese blend over the sauce and then sprinkle the garlic powder and italian seasoning over the cheese.
• Starting on the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly into a large roll. Pull the dough up and in as you are rolling to create as tight of a roll as possible.
• Once the dough is completely rolled up, using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise down the middle to expose the layers of sauce and cheese.
• Pinch the two strands of the dough together at the top to help secure them and then twist the strands around each other until you get to the end. Pinch the two strands together at the bottom to secure as well. 
• Preheat the oven to 350° and gently place the twisted dough on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper or foil. Lightly brush the dough with the olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Cover the dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for a second time till doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Once the bread has finished rising for the second time, uncover and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Additional pizza toppings can be added on top of the marinara before adding the cheese. Be careful not to overload on the toppings or the bread will fall apart and not rise properly. Two to three additional toppings should work, in addition to the sauce and cheese.

 

Alternative toppings

• Meat Lovers - Add cooked ground italian sausage, ground beef, bacon or ham
• Veggie - Add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, olives, onions or tomatoes
• Hawaiian - Add diced ham and canned drained pineapple tidbits
• Buffalo - Replace marinara with buffalo sauce and then top with shredded cooked chicken, crumbled blue cheese and mozzarella cheese
• Margherita - Add chopped fresh basil on top of the marinara
• BBQ Chicken - Replace the marinara with bbq sauce and top with shredded cooked chicken and mozzarella cheese
• Classic - Add pepperoni slices for a classic pepperoni pizza version

 

Alternative Cheeses

• A pre-packaged italian style cheese blend typically includes a combination of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheese. Mozarella, fontina, asiago, pecorino-romano or even havarti would also work.

 

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

After baking, allow the pizza bread to cool completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. The cooled pizza bread can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 13gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 575mgPotassium: 165mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg

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