Show off a little over the holidays this year with this spectacular Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid bread loaf. Your family will think you spent hours crafting it, but they’d be mistaken. Making it is easy, convenient, fast, and fun.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Resting time3 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Total Time4 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Servings: 12slices
Calories: 184kcal
Ingredients
1loaf Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough®
2tablespoonsolive oil
5oz MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chorizo Crumbles
A little bit of flour
8ozGalbani® Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1egg
Dry Mexican oregano
Instructions
Thaw the Dough.
Place one loaf inside an oiled 9x5 inch bread pan and brush it with more olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place it on your fridge overnight.
Take the dough out of the fridge (approx 4-5 hours before you plan on serving it) and let it rise in a warm place away from drafts until the dough is 1 inch taller than the pan. Depending on the weather and humidity, this can take between 2-3 hours.
Prepare the Filling
Heat up the chorizo according to the bag's instructions. If you are making one loaf of bread, you need half the contents of the bag (5 oz / 140 gr). Put the rest back in the freezer to use later.
Place the crumbles in a skillet, add 1/3 cup of water, cover them, and heat them for 4 minutes at medium-high heat, then continue another 4 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Let the chorizo crumbles cool down and put them in the fridge until you need them. Next, slice 8 oz (225 gr) of cheese and put it back in the fridge until you need it.
Making the Braid
Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough into a 14 x 10 inch (35.5 x 25.5 cm) rectangle.
Place half the mozzarella cheese slices in a strip down the center of the 14-inch length of the dough.
Spread the chorizo on top of the cheese and cover with another layer of cheese.
With a knife, cut 6-7 diagonal lines from the edge of the filling to the edge of the dough on both sides, starting about one-half inch from the top. Fold the top inch or so over the top of the filling, then braid by taking the first strip from the right side, crossing it over from right to left over the filling.
Continue by taking a strip from the left side, moving it from left to right over the top of the filling. Continue by alternating and folding strips, stopping just for a minute to fold the bottom up to seal the bread before finishing the last folding strips.
Fold the extra dough under the braid. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or greased with oil or butter. Cover and let it rise again for 20 minutes.
While it rises, pre-heat oven to 375 °F (190 °C)
Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Right before baking, brush the braid with a layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with dry Mexican oregano.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool down on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid
Amount per Serving
Calories
184
% Daily Value*
Fat
37
g
57
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
24
mg
8
%
Sodium
384
mg
17
%
Potassium
107
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
19
g
6
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
2
g
2
%
Protein
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
20
IU
0
%
Calcium
196
mg
20
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.