Baker's Corner: Easy Bread Pizza Pockets

As you read this post, I will be rushing around my home like a headless chicken trying to get everything packed and sorted in time for my trip to India. This is going to be a longer-than-usual visit and I'll be back in Singapore only in January next year. As is the case with all our visits, this one is going to be action-packed too but the part I'm looking forward most to is spending time with my sister and newborn nephew in Mysore. An eventful social calendar is not going to stop me from blogging though. I managed to squeeze time to prepare some draft posts in the last two weeks so that should take care of this year's blogging quota.

I've been on an Italian food-high since last week so this post is inspired from there. If you have been following my blog on a regular basis, you will know that I posted a recipe for Margherita Pizza some time ago. This is one of my favourite pizzas and my husband's speciality so I look forward to it all the more. But I have to admit that making this pizza is quite tedious since we make the pizza dough and pizza sauce from scratch. It isn't something we can make in a jiffy when the pizza craving strikes. To overcome that snag, the idea for these bread pizza pockets took shape.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to pizza. You can make the same combinations of toppings that you love on a pizza work in calzones, stromboli, bagels, stuffed buns, rolls & open-faced sandwiches. This variation is easier than making most of them. Since I've already told you that I am a Margherita pizza lover, for this recipe, all you need is store-bought fresh bread and the three classic Margherita ingredients namely basil, mozzarella and tomatoes (in the form of sauce).

Allow me to break it down for you - you slather bread slices with butter followed by pizza sauce (I used the ready-made kind), layer a few leaves of fresh basil, scatter a few slices of fresh mozzarella, press the sandwich down and crimp the edges with a fork, brush with an egg wash and bake till golden brown. That's IT. It takes less than half an hour from start to finish. You get the same familiar and oh so delicious flavours of a Margherita Pizza in less than half the time and effort. Gotta love that!

Me and hubby wholeheartedly approved of these pizza pockets. It is going to feature as a regular on our weekend brunch or quick weekday dinner menu hereafter. It is a great dish to make when you have guests, to take on picnics or to pack in your child's lunchbox. Quite the all-rounder this one. 

Here is the recipe. Make it for your family and friends and you will be making it again soon. I promise.

Easy Bread Pizza Pockets

Preparation time: 10 min; Baking time: 15 min 

Total time: Under 30 min

Serves: 2-3
Recipe category: Italian-inspired/Snack or Main course

Recipe level: Easy

Ingredients:

12 slices white or wholemeal bread

1 tbsp butter, room-temperature

4 tbsp pizza sauce (tomato-based)

30gm fresh basil

150gm fresh mozzarella balls

Red chilli flakes - for sprinkling (Optional)

1 egg

A splash of cold water

You will also need:

A soft bristled brush for brushing the egg wash

A sheet of parchment paper or aluminium foil for lining the baking tray

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C. Line the baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil

2. Remove the edges of the bread slices

3. Apply a thin layer of butter on the insides of the bread slices

4. Apply a layer of pizza sauce over the buttered layer

5. Now layer a few fresh basil leaves. Leave a small gap around the edges

6. Slice the fresh mozzarella cheese and place the chunks randomly over the basil leaves. Maintain the gap around the edges

7. Sprinkle red chilli flakes if desired. Season with salt if required (I did not season it)

8. Press the other slice of bread over this assembly and gently press the sandwich together. Now take a fork and crimp the edges as shown.

Not very neat I know. Maybe you can do better.

9. Assemble the rest of the sandwiches in a similar way

10. Break an egg into a bowl. Add a splash of cold water and whisk well until pale

11. Brush the egg wash generously over the assembled sandwiches. Doing this will give you a golden top surface

12. Place the sandwiches in a pre-heated oven for 12-15min or until golden brown

13. Slice into two and serve hot.

Notes:

• Use fresh bread for this recipe for the best outcome. Use the largest size of bread available
• I used the mini mozzarella balls because that is what was available at the store. You could use the larger sized one and cut them into thin slices
• If you don't have pizza sauce, you could use thinly sliced ripe tomatoes
• If you don't consume eggs, you could brush the top of the bread with melted butter before popping it in the oven

Cheers,

Megha