Picnic Bread

Picnic BreadI absolutely love the way the kitchen smells when bread is baking in the oven.  It transports me back to a time when I was a young girl.  My siblings and I would take turns delivering mail to our grandparents who lived down the road from us.  My paternal grandmother was always baking something, especially fresh bread…my grandfather disliked the grocery store version.  Making bread isn’t a priority for me so I make it very seldom, but, when I do, we devour it like a pack of hungry wolves.  This recipe for picnic bread or you could label it stuffed bread, fills the kitchen with amazing aromas and is perfect for an informal gathering or at a pot luck.  Bring it to your next family function warm and watch it disappear.  The ingredients listed are a guide…use whatever you have in your cupboard or fridge.  Any leftovers do well here, too.

Serves 4 to 6
bread or pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
fresh mozzarella (bocconcini)
handful basil leaves
6 to 8 slices of prosciutto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 to 8 oven roasted cherry tomatoes
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 375f. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to roughly 1/2-inch thick. Take a baking sheet and scatter with fine cornmeal (to help the dough from sticking). Place dough on baking sheet and add prosciutto slices, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan. Drizzle olive oil over top and fold dough over. Pinch ends to make sure the filling doesn’t ooze out. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.

picnic bread fillingThe Culinary Chase’s Note:  For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add roasted veggies such as red bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, roasted garlic and spread pesto over the base.  Enjoy!

Picnic Bread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This recipe for picnic bread or you could label it stuffed bread, fills the kitchen with amazing aromas and is perfect for an informal gathering or at a pot luck. Bring it to your next family function warm and watch it disappear. The ingredients listed are a guide…use whatever you have in your cupboard or fridge. Any leftovers do well here, too.
Author:
Recipe type: snack
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • bread or pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
  • fresh mozzarella
  • handful basil leaves
  • 6 to 8 slices of prosciutto
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 6 to 8 oven roasted cherry tomatoes
  • drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375f. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to roughly ½-inch thick. Take a baking sheet and scatter with fine cornmeal (to help the dough from sticking). Place dough on baking sheet and add prosciutto slices, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan. Drizzle olive oil over top and fold dough over. Pinch ends to make sure the filling doesn’t ooze out. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
The Culinary Chase’s Note: For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add roasted veggies such as red bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, roasted garlic and spread pesto over the base. Enjoy!