Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Bread for #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

This month Kelly invited us to share Surprise Inside bread! She said: "Bake up some bread with something fun inside! Will it be a pattern? A filling?"

This recipe results in super pillowy soft bread, wrapped around a light cheesy filling with tender chicken and little pops from the peppers. It's completely delicious. Slice these a little thicker for an entrée, or thinner pieces and maybe some warm marinara to dip in for an appetizer. Play with the filling however you'd like - this is very "pizza bread" and you can make it yours! I loved the flavor from the peppers, and the mildness of the mozzarella, but there are tons of variations in my head that I'm hoping to try out soon. An Italian version with salami and banana peppers might be next! 

See all of our surprise inside breads!

• Broccoli Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Bread from Making Miracles
• Cinnamon Apple Surprise Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Giraffe Print Bread from Ambrosia
• Leopard Print Milk Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Paw Print Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Peek-a-boo Panda Bread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Picasso Floral Surprise Loaf from A Messy Kitchen
• Swirl Bread from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Swirl Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread (Chocolate, Garlic & Herbs) from Cook with Renu
• Whey Watermelon Bread from Sneha's Recipe

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Bread

Ingredients

For the bread dough

3 cups of bread flour

2 1/4 tsp dried yeast

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp salt

1 TBS olive oil

For the filling

2 cups grated mozzarella

½ cup pickled mild Sweet Cherry Peppers (seeded and diced)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine: 1 1/4 cups warm water, yeast, and sugar. Blend and set aside about 8 minutes until yeast is frothy and activated.
2. Add in: flour, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Fit the dough hook to the stand, and turn speed to medium-high, until dough ball forms. Once it comes together, turn to about medium speed and allow to knead about 3 minutes, until dough is smooth. If it's too dry, add a touch more liquid.
3. Remove dough from bowl, and add a little bit of olive oil to the bottom of the bowl. Place dough back in the bowl and flip so both sides are coated. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for about an hour, until doubled in size.
4. Punch dough down. Spread a bit of flour on a counter, and roll the dough out into a rectangle (similar to cinnamon rolls).
5. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, diced peppers, Italian seasoning, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste if desired.
6. Spread the filling all the way around the dough rectangle, leaving a clean edge for sealing.
7. Roll the bread up, jelly roll style. Gently pinch the seam and ends to seal as best as possible and transfer the log to a baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise another 30 minutes, or until puffy.
8. When dough is about ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Bake the bread 30-35 minutes, until lightly golden and baked all the way through. Bake longer if you want a deeper golden color, or brush with egg wash or butter before baking if desired. 
10. Allow to rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from Simply Delicious