Soft buttery bread stuffed with chicken and cheese…
This is a delightful dish that combines the savory flavors of chicken and cheese encased in a soft, bread-like exterior. This dish is essentially a type of stuffed bread or pizza where a flavorful filling of seasoned chicken and cheese is rolled or stuffed into a soft bread dough before baking.
Making the dough is similar to making pizza dough, however, in this one egg & butter are also added. Perfectly fermented dough is stuffed with chicken filling & cheese, made into a fish-shape or like braids & baked till golden brown.
This is a complete dish & is perfect for any parties or special occasions.
Chicken Cheese Stuffed Fish Shaped Braided Bread - Stuffed Pizza Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Thasneen
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
For making dough
- All-purpose flour- 4 cups
- Milk- 2 tbsp
- Sugar- 2 tbsp
- Salt- ½ tsp
- Instant active yeast- 2 tsp
- Egg- 1
- Water- 1½ cups
- Butter, softened- 2 tbsp
For making chicken filling
- Chicken, boneless diced small- 2 chicken breasts
- Paprika- 1 tsp (or add chili powder for more spice)
- Cumin powder- ½ tsp
- Salt- ½ tsp
- Oil- 2 tbsp
- Onions, chopped- 3, medium-sized
- Chicken bouillon cube- 1
- Tomato paste- 3 tbsp
- Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
- Tomato ketchup- 1 tbsp
- Chili sauce- 1 tsp
- Cilantro, chopped- 3 tbsp
Other ingredients
- Cheese, grated
- Butter, softened- 2 tbsp
- Egg yolk, beaten- 1
Instructions
Making the dough
- For making the dough I've taken 4 cups of all-purpose flour, which will make 2 stuffed bread.
- For making 1 stuffed bread, just half the recipe.
- I made the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment.
- To the stand mixer bowl, add the flour, milk, sugar, salt, instant yeast & egg.
- Knead for 2 minutes at speed 2.
- Add water & knead at speed 2 for 4 to 5 minutes till the dough is smooth & forms a ball.
- Halfway through, using a silicone spatula scrape the sides of the bowl for even mixing.
- Add softened butter 2 tbsp & knead for 2 more minutes.
- This dough will be very sticky. Don't add more dough & make it into a hard dough.
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen cloth & proof for an hour.
- If living in a cold place, preheat the oven to 200 F for 3 minutes, turn off the oven & keep the bowl with the dough in the oven & let proof for an hour.
- If living in a warm place, keep the bowl on the counter top for an hour.
Making chicken filling
- In the meantime, let's make the chicken filling.
- Use boneless chicken breast or thighs for making the filling.
- Place a saucepan over medium heat, add the chicken.
- Add paprika, cumin powder & salt, combine well.
- Paprika is very mild, if you like the filling to be spicy add chili powder instead.
- Cook covered for a few minutes, liquid will ooze out of the chicken, let the chicken cook in that liquid.
- After the liquid has dried out, add 2 tbsp oil & stir fry till chicken turns slightly brown.
- Using a wooden spatula, gently break the chicken to small pieces.
- Don't stir fry till chicken turns dry.
- Keep aside the cooked chicken.
- To the same pan, add chopped onions, saute for a few minutes till chicken turns golden in color.
- Add chicken bouillon cube, combine well & cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, combine well & cook for 2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, combine well & cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken & combine well, cook for 2 minutes.
- Finally, garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Take the pan off the heat & keep it covered.
- This chicken filling tastes absolutely delish.
Stuffing the bread & Baking
- After an hour, the dough will be proofed perfectly.
- The dough will be very sticky.
- On a clean countertop or large steel plate dust with some flour.
- Using a silicone spatula, take the dough out of the bowl (taking the dough using your hands, dough will stick to your hands) & place it on the floured surface.
- Dust some more flour & knead it well using your hands.
- Don't make into a firm dough, it has to be very soft.
- Half the dough using a pizza cutter & knead into 2 large dough balls.
- If it's very sticky add some more flour & knead well till you can work with the dough.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough ball to an elongated shape.
- Transfer the rolled dough to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread cheese on the middle of the rolled dough, leave some space on both the ends for braiding.
- Spread chicken filling over the cheese & spread cheese on the chicken filling.
- Using a knife make stripes on both the ends, this is to braid the dough.
- We are going to braid the dough like fish shaped.
- Take the dough stripes from both the sides and place them over the filling, braid the dough.
- Towards the end, leave the dough as it is so it looks like a fish tail, using a knife make cuts on the tail part to resemble a fish tail.
- if you're making 2 breads, repeat the same process & stuff the other bead as well.
- For the fish eyes, place a whole peppercorn on the topmost braid.
- In a bowl, separate the egg yolk from the egg white.
- We'll be only using the egg yolk, beat it well using a fork.
- Using a pastry brush, spread the egg yolk all over the dough.
- Egg yolk will impart a beautiful golden brown color to the bread.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 F.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack.
- Bake for 30 minutes or till the bread has turned golden brown in color.
- Take the baking sheet from the oven.
- Immediately, spread 1 tbsp unsalted butter all over the bread, don't skip this step. This will impart a nice shine & taste to the bread.
- Cover the stuffed bread with an aluminum foil & let rest for 15 minutes.
- While serving, using a bread knife or pizza cutter cut into wedges.
- Enjoy this delicious chicken cheese stuffed bread, the bread tastes better than the pizza dough, has a slightly sweet & buttery taste & is very soft.
