Babka Pizza: Swirled Layers of Pizza Bread and Cheese...

Intro: Babka Pizza: Swirled Layers of Pizza Bread and Cheese...

I was inspired by the beautiful layers and textures of a Babka bread, so I figured why not try it out on a pizza. I had been dreaming about these nice fluffy layers and swirls of bread with tomato sauce and cheese. And it came out just the way that I had imagined...with perfect pull-apart layers of pizza!!

Usually, I like to try to make the dough, but for pizza and bagels I prefer to buy it from the best local place I know. For me, I love "Best Pizza" right down the street to me in Brooklyn and they'll sell you just the dough. Even if a place doesn't outright list the price of the dough on the menu, just ask, because sometimes they do! I hope you enjoy the Babka Pizza as much as I do!!!

Please note that ingredient proportions in this recipe for cheese, sauce and herbs are for one Babka Pizza. The amount of dough for one large pizza, can make two Babka Pizzas, so if you would like to use up the dough, please double the rest of the ingredients OR use the rest of the dough a mini pizza! You'll still need more sauce and cheese, but definitely get creative and maybe try out a white pizza or use different cheeses!

Find me at www.mydessertdiet.com

Instagram: @wendykou

STEP 1: Just Some Simple Ingredients and You'll Have the Most Amazing Piece of Art!

Ingredients:

• 1 pizza dough halved (I recommend buying from a local pizza store... especially if it's a favorite local spot. The dough is such an important component, that it's worth getting it fresh from a pizza shop rather than pre-packaged.)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I personally love getting a whole mozzarella cheese and freshly shred the cheese). Divide into 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 3 tablespoons.
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce (I love Trader Joe's pizza sauce found in the refrigerated section in the store)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil

• Optional: 16-20 slices of pepperoni.

STEP 2: Preheat the Oven and Getting That Sauce on the Dough!

• Preheat oven 385F degrees and line loaf pan with parchment paper with some overhang on the pan (to make it easier to pull the Pizza Babka out of the pan once done).
• Take one of the halves of the pizza dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 6 inches diameter (the pizza dough may naturally bounce back a little bit), so it may be easier to toss the dough to stretch it out. Get the dough into a rectangular shape and to approximately 12 inches by 17 inches.
• Use a spoon to spread the sauce evenly around the dough.

STEP 3: Sprinkle Cheese Evenly Around the Entire Area and This Is That Moment to Add Some Pepperoni on Top of the Cheese!!

STEP 4: Roll the Edges From the Long Side.

STEP 5: Cut the Dough in Half, So You'll Have Two Even Rolls. Set Them Side by Side.

STEP 6: Leaving a Centimeter on Top and Bottom of Each Roll, Use a Serrated Knife to Slice Through the Center of Each Roll About Half-way Deep in the Roll, But Not All the Way Through.

STEP 7: Take the Two Rolls and Overlap One Over the Other, But Keeping the Top of Each Roll Facing Up (so the Side Sliced Open Still Faces Up) and Place Into Loaf Pan.

• Before placing in oven, you can either leave as is or lightly sauce and top with extra mozzarella and pepperoni.
• Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until temperature reaches 190F degrees to ensure interior is fully cooked (if the dough is too thick, it could come out under cooked.
• Take out of oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to pull the Pizza Babka out of the pan.

STEP 8: Amazingness!!!!

STEP 9: Those Layers!!!!

STEP 10: Speechless....

Find me at www.mydessertdiet.com

More fun on Instagram: @wendykou

Comments

[gtgodard01]

omg

[ShaukaZ]

omg i have to make this wow

[JmsDwh]

I wonder if you could make an entire Sicilian pie like this and still have it cook all the way through?

[Groaker]

A lower cooking temperature for a longer period of time would allow you to cook it all the way through. A cooking thermometer that you can insert to check for doneness would be very useful. Bread is usally done at around 200F, but that is to some degree personal taste. You probably want to finish at a higher temperature to caramelize (Maillard reaction) the surface for taste and appearance. I would start with cooking directions similar to the above, and optimize until you have exactly what you want.

While formal dishes in both China and Italy certainly provide great gastronomy, I really like the Improvisata schools of both cultures. The cooking is fun, economical, and makes for great dishes. Sometimes the pleasure is creating an interesting dish when the pantry is low, and you don't feel like going out to the grocery store/\.

[WendyKou]

i think it might be tough for it to cook all the way through if the dough is too thick, since its all rolled together...

[SébastienA5]

I made it, and I prefer a simple calzone or even just a pizza. There is so much layers in your recipe, I don't like it. But that was fun to make.

[gabisdaddi]

This is like what happens if a stromboli and a calzone had a baby...

[niarudii]

Italian here. Could you please tell me what's a Stromboli? In Italy Stromboli is just the name of a volcano!

[gabisdaddi]

If you're actually from Italy, then that's understandable :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromboli_(food)

[Kay]

Stromboli is what we would have if we stopped at step 5 and baked. It's like a rolled pizza!

[truliwicked]

Pizza lover from the first taste..definitely going to make this! Thanks for sharing :-)

[WendyKou]

Yes, definitely make it!! let me know how it goes!!

[valcarrara]

just looking and drooling... :-)

[WendyKou]

thank you!!! appreciate your comment!

[domi64]

Great and original idea ! thanks for sharing

Domi.

[WendyKou]

thank you!!! appreciate your comment!

[thegreat58]

Looks amazing.

[WendyKou]

thank you!!!

[PatsyC3]

this looks awesome! Wondering if I could add sausage?

[WendyKou]

Yes definitely, but I would make sure that it's pre-cooked first and don't overdo it, because it could prevent the dough from cooking all the way.