Three Cheese Stuffed Bread

Cheese-filled, cheese-dusted warm bread... chewy, crisp, toasty, and 100% the best thing ever. Store-bought bread dough, three cheeses, 25 minutes in the oven. Winning on every level.

Think of this as a calzone baked in a loaf pan! That's basically what it is. There's not as much cheese as a calzone, which makes this the perfect partner for any main dish you're serving. It also makes an excellent breakfast, lunch or snack all by itself. When I made this bread, I had leftovers, so I popped two slices in the toaster and created the most incredible ham sandwich on earth.

About the dough: I used frozen bread dough - the kind sold in 1-pound loaves. That type of bread requires several hours of thawing (either overnight or 4 to 5 hours on the counter). Plan ahead if you're using frozen. Otherwise, use refrigerated bread or pizza dough and follow the instructions below. Once the bread is filled and dusted with cheese, it needs to rise for about 30 to 40 minutes so it puffs up again (we squish it down when we nestle it into the loaf pan).

Have fun with this recipe and use whatever cheeses you already have on hand. You can also add fillings like pepperoni, deli ham/turkey/chicken, bell peppers, mushrooms, and more!

Three Cheese Stuffed Bread

1 loaf fresh or frozen bread dough, thawed according to package directions if frozen
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Roll or press the dough out on a flat surface until it's twice the length of an 8-inch loaf pan. Press half of the loaf into the bottom of the loaf pan, allowing the second half to hang over one end of the pan. Top the bread in the pan with the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Fold the second half of the dough over top, covering the cheese. Press around the edges to completely cover the cheese with dough. Brush the top of the bread with the olive oil and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese. Let stand at room termperature for 30 to 40 minutes to allow the bread to rise again (since we squished it down when rolling it out).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is puffed up and golden brown.
Cool the bread, in the pan, on a wire rack for a few minutes before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf (serves 6-8)