Stuffed Crust Pizza Braid

Step 1

If you are using our pizza dough recipe, follow the directions in that recipe to prepare the dough.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in center.

Step 3

On a floured surface with a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball into a rectangle one at a time 30 inches long by 3 inches wide. (If they stretch back a bit, cover and let rest for ten minutes to allow the gluten to relax.) Place 12 mozzarella halves end to end on each strip, leaving a little room to seal the ends.

Step 4

Brush one side of the dough with water and fold the opposite side over the cheese so each edge meets. Press down or use the back of a fork to press the two sides together. (You must have a good seal.) Fold the two ends in on themselves and again, seal tightly. Then brush the top of the fold with water (where you just pinched it closed) and roll the filled dough onto the fold so you end up with the seam side down. Repeat this for the other two dough balls using 12 half pieces of cheese in each. (36 total pieces cut from 18 sticks)

Step 5

Lay out a parchment lined cookie sheet on the counter and lay the three rolls next to each other from corner to corner over the sheet tray. (The finished braid is too difficult to lift so making the braid on the pan is the easiest.) Pinch the tops of each roll to each other and tuck under that end. Now braid crossing the outside to the middle (like you were braiding hair). Keep crossing outside to the middle until you are at the end, then fold and seal the end under. If the braid is not positioned properly on the pan, adjust it now.

Step 6

Brush or spray the top with olive oil and generously sprinkle the top with kosher salt.

Step 7

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, spray the top with more oil (pan spray or brush on) and sprinkle on the grated cheese. Return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Check the bottom to make sure it is not over-browning toward the ends. If it is, raise the oven rack for the remaining baking time.

Step 8

Serve hot right out of the oven, left whole, with marinara sauce on the side and allow guests to pull off pieces and dip in the sauce.