Okay, if there’s one thing I love, it’s finding simple recipes (that are actually super easy to make) but look like you spent all day…because who doesn’t want to impress someone, or feel like the bomb dot com every once in awhile?! This simple technique can be used with your favorite dough recipe (French bread, cinnamon roll dough, wheat bread…seriously if it’s bread dough you can use it) and any filling you’d like.  Personally, I like the 30-minute dough from the Outsmart Dinner Meal Planner because it’s pretty much the best dough to use for absolutely everything (think pizza, breadsticks, rolls, etc.)

If you want to catch my live class where I show you just how to make this, you can watch it in our private Facebook Group HERE. Otherwise, here’s a short description of how to get it done. 

1. Make the dough like you normally would.
2. Roll it in to a large rectangle (like you’re going to make cinnamon rolls).  I like to do this on a silicon mat, it helps you roll shape the shape easier and keep your counters clean.
3. Sprinkle or lay out toppings on the rectangle (more on that later)
4. Roll lengthwise (just like you would cinnamon rolls)
5. Cut down the middle longwise.
6. Cross the pieces of dough in the middle and working from the middle to the top twist the dough around each other, pinching at the top. Then working from the middle down repeat the step.
7. Allow to rise, if necessary (not needed if you use my 30-minute dough recipe from the Outsmart Dinner Meal Planner)
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-28 minutes.

4 EASY FILLINGS FOR YOUR BRAIDED BREAD

1. Use your normal cinnamon roll filling. Or to make it even jazzier add 1 cup of chocolate chips to your cinnamon roll filling for a chocolate cinnamon roll bread braid. (I mean, just the name of that sounds amazingly impressive, right?!) And top with your favorite cinnamon roll frosting.
2. Fill it with 1/4 cup Pesto (I like to buy the jar at Costco and then freeze into smaller portions for this and chicken pesto sandwiches.  I just use plastic containers from the Dollar Tree to get it all done.)
3. Smear butter and garlic salt on the inside and top it with cheese.  I mean…garlic…cheese…bread…that’s a no brainer, am I right?
4. Lunch Meat and Cheese, this would be perfect for a luncheon, party, shower, or just to feed a crowd you’d like to impress.

Really the sky is the limit.  You could also use raspberry pastry filling, jam, or anything else that sounds a-mah-zing to you at the moment.