Festive holiday breakfast bread braid filled with scrambled eggs, cooked sausage and cheese.

Holiday Breakfast Braid

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced onion

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon active yeast

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup warm water

8 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 cups turkey or pork sausage, browned

2/3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

2/3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Prepare the bread recipe*. Layer the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and pour in 1 cup warm water (110°F / 45°C). Knead dough with food processor for several minutes. Add a small amount of flour, if needed, until dough forms a nice ball. Place on a floured board.
3. Next, brown the sausage. Then, beat the eggs and milk together and scramble in a non-stick pan until firm.
4. Roll bread out into a 10 x 16-inch rectangle.
5. Place scrambled eggs down the center of the dough. Top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and then top with sausage. Using a pizza wheel, cut dough in from both sides at an angle about 1-inch apart. Next, braid the strips over the center ingredients to form a loaf.
6. Bake for around 20 minutes or until it is a nice golden color. Slice and serve.

Makes 12 servings.

*You may substitute the bread with 2 loaves of frozen dough, thawed, or 2 tubes of refrigerated pizza dough.

Recipe provided courtesy of Iowa Egg Council.