Braided Pizza Loaf

Total Time Prep: 50 min. + rising Bake: 30 min.
Yield 1 loaf
Test Kitchen Approved
You can take the frozen bread dough out in the morning and then finish the meat-filled loaf after work. It's important to let the filling cool completely before spreading it on the dough. &Mdash;Debbie Meduna, Plaza, North Dakota.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Melted butter

Directions

  1. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Cool completely. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 15x12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased baking sheet. Spread filling lengthwise down center third of rectangle. Sprinkle cheeses over filling.
  4. On each long side, cut 1-1/2-in.-wide strips about 2-1/2 in. into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Brush with butter.
  5. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 234 calories, 10g fat (5g saturated fat), 36mg cholesterol, 687mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 15g protein.

You can take the frozen bread dough out in the morning and then finish the meat-filled loaf after work. It's important to let the filling cool completely before spreading it on the dough. &Mdash;Debbie Meduna, Plaza, North Dakota.
Recipe Creator

© 2025 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC