Vegetable and mozzarella braid

Name: Vegetable and mozzarella braid
Ingredients: 250 g type 00 flour; 130 ml lukewarm milk; 12.5 g fresh yeast; 30 ml olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 15 ml extra milk as needed; 1/2 medium white onion (75 g); 2 green onions; 1/2 medium red pepper (75 g); 90 ml tomato juice; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 12 slices mozzarella; 1 egg; 30 ml milk

Appetizers - Vegetable and mozzarella braid by Blanduzia G. - Recipia

The vegetable and mozzarella braid is served for breakfast, packed for lunch, or as a light dinner, and sliced after it has cooled a little. The yeast dough browns in the oven, with vegetables and mozzarella in the center; I roll the dough out as evenly as possible toward the edges so the braid doesn’t end up thick in one spot. Prep: 50 minutes. Cook: 25 minutes. Rest: 60 minutes. Total time: 135 minutes. Serves: 4. Approximately 480 kcal and 22 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the dough

250 g type 00 flour
130 ml lukewarm milk
12.5 g fresh yeast
30 ml olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 ml extra milk as needed

For the filling

1/2 medium white onion (75 g)
2 green onions
1/2 medium red pepper (75 g)
90 ml tomato juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
12 slices mozzarella

For brushing

1 egg
30 ml milk

Preparation

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk, pour it over the flour and start kneading, gradually adding the oil. Knead for 10-15 minutes, until you have an elastic, non-sticky dough; if it remains stiff, gradually add no more than 15 ml of milk. 2. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for at least 60 minutes, until it has increased in volume. 3. Deseed the pepper and peel the white onion, wash them and chop them finely. Chop the green onions too. Mix the vegetables with the tomato juice, salt and pepper. 4. Gently press the dough to release the air and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll out the first piece into a thin sheet and divide it into three sections without cutting through the dough: one in the center and two at the sides. Cut thin strips in the two side sections. 5. Place half the vegetable mixture in the middle section, then arrange 6 slices of mozzarella on top. Cover the filling by alternating strips from one side and the other. 6. Roll out and fill the second piece of dough in the same way, with the remaining vegetables and the other 6 slices of mozzarella. 7. Place the two braids on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg with the milk and brush it over the dough. 8. Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes, until the braids are browned on top.

Notes

Slice and serve with a simple green salad. For a stronger-tasting filling, you can replace the mozzarella with 240 g of sliced cheese; the dough contains gluten, and the dish contains dairy and egg. Choose mozzarella with little liquid in the package and pat the slices dry if they are wet. If the tomato juice is very watery, leave the vegetables in a sieve for a few minutes so liquid doesn’t collect on the dough. If the dough is hard to roll out and keeps shrinking back, let it rest for a little while before continuing. If it sticks to the work surface, dust it with a little flour without working much into the dough. The two braids brown more evenly if there’s room for them on the tray and they aren’t touching. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.