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5.0 from 252 votes

Lunchbox pizza bread (quick)

Recipe video above. A quick to make pizza bread, made for tucking into lunchboxes or a great savoury snack for morning tea. It's something I created as an economical alternative to pizza bread from Bakers' Delight, a popular Australian bakery chain. Use store-bought pizza sauce and pre-shredded cheese for convenience (true to name!), and whatever toppings your heart desires. Sour cream and olive oil keeps the crumb moist so it will stay fresh for 4 days in an airtight container.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Cooling
20 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 260 kcal
Course: Snacks , Bread , Lunch , Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb soda , sifted (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
WET:
  • 1 large egg (60g / 2 oz)
  • 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream , or plain yogurt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
CHEESE FOR BATTER:
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (colby, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Devondale "3 cheese blend") (Note 2)
PIZZA TOPPINGS:
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, same as above (Note 2)
  • 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce , store bought or homemade (any of them)
  • 1/4 red onion , finely sliced
  • 1/2 green capsicum / bell pepper , finely sliced
  • 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
  • 50g/ 2 oz pepperoni slices (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Oil spray a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13") metal pan then line with baking / parchment paper (Note 3).
  2. Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl until combined.
  4. Combine Wet & Dry - Pour Wet into the Dry ingredients. Mix with a rubber spatula until the flour is mostly mixed in but you can still see a bit of flour. Add cheese then stir until you can no longer see flour. Some small lumps is fine, they will bake out.
  5. Assemble - Scrape into the baking pan and evenly spread - it's not that thick, remember it rises! Spread the surface with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, then (in this order) onion, capsicum, olives then pepperoni.
  6. Bake 40 min - Bake 25 minutes uncovered. Cover with a baking tray (or foil) then bake for a further 15 minutes.
  7. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then use the paper overhang to lift or slide out onto a cooling rack. Cool for a further 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
  8. Serving - Great at room temp though for VIP's, sometimes I warm it in the oven, drizzle with a swish of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of oregano.

Notes

  • Baking soda can be substituted with an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder though the bread is not quite as soft and springy. (Notes in post for more info)
  • Cheese choices - Any cheese that melts nicely and has flavour works best here. I use Devondale "3 cheese blend" (mozzarella, colby, parmesan). Monterey Jack, cheddar, colby, pepper jack, tasty cheese will all work fine here.
  • Pre-shredded ok - Normally I am a stickler for shredding your own cheese but in the spirt of today's recipe being a quick one, store bought shredded is fine.
  • Mozzarella is a little plain so if that’s all you’ve got add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt into your batter.
  • Lining pan - single sheet covering long sides + base is enough, no need to line the short sides (as demo'd in the video).
  • Ceramic & glass pans will work but add 3 minutes to the bake time and they will rise a smidge less as they do not conduct heat as quickly.
  • Keeps 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, though best to eat at room temp. Freeze once cooked for up to 3 months. Unless it's a really, hot day, it will be fine in a lunchbox from morning until lunch as the meat is cooked. Otherwise, use an insulated lunchbox!
  • Nutrition per slice assuming 12 servings.

Nutrition Information

Calories 260cal (13%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 46mg (15%) Sodium 425mg (18%) Potassium 189mg (5%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 529IU (11%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 228mg (23%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 260

% Daily Value*

Calories 260cal 13%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 425mg 18%
Potassium 189mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 529IU 11%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 228mg 23%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.