An economical, easy copycat of the fan favourite Bakers’ Delight pizza bread, a much loved lunch-on-the-run! Named as such as it’s designed to be tucked into lunchboxes and eaten at room temp rather than piping hot like normal pizza. Think: morning tea, picnics, hungry teenagers, freezer stash!
A homemade pizza bread
There’s a popular bakery chain here in Australia called Bakers’ Delight which sells a myriad of baked goods, ranging from sweet cinnamon buns to savoury bread rolls that are a convenient “lunch on the run”.
I’ve always wanted to recreate the fan favourite pizza breads. And noticing that the RRP has crept up to $4.90 (inflation!) was just the kick I needed to get moving on it.
Rather than making individual pizzas, I decided to take the easier option of making a large pizza slab then cutting it into portions. I then went one step further and decided to use a simple cheesy muffin batter rather than yeast-based proper pizza dough which needs hours to rise.
So here it is today – my pizza bread. It’s a great one for lunch boxes or taking to places, like morning tea at work because it’s designed to be eaten at room temperature.
Ingredients in pizza bread
This is a quick pizza bread that’s based on a savoury muffin batter. Which means – no yeast, no kneading, no rise time. Mix and bake!
The batter
Flour – Just plain / all purpose flour. Self raising flour will work in place of the flour + baking powder + baking soda but the crumb is not as soft or springy, and will not stay fresh for as long.
Baking powder + baking soda (bi-carb) – I know, it’s soooo irritating when I ask you to use both instead of one or the other! I wouldn’t ask it of you unless it matters – and in this case it really does make a noticeable difference.
Basically, both make muffins, cakes etc rise. But baking soda is like triple strength baking powder, and they have different rising qualities depending on what other ingredients are used. For this recipe, only baking powder = crumb not as soft or moist. Only baking soda = mound rather than flat surface. Combo of both = perfect!
Shredded cheese – Used to flavour the crumb and top the bread. Use your favourite shredded cheese (or cheese blend) that melts except mozzarella which doesn’t have much flavour. I use Devondale 3 cheese blend (mozzarella, colby, parmesan) which is my favourite store bought shredded cheese for both melting qualities and flavour (I’m in Australia).
If mozzarella is all you’ve got, just add an extra 1/2 teaspoon salt in the batter.
Pre-shredded ok! Usually I recommend shredding your own but in this case pre-shredded is fine, in the spirit of this quick & easy recipe!
Milk & sour cream (or yogurt) – These are the liquids for this batter. The sour cream keeps the pizza bread stay moist for several days rather than going stale the next day which is what happens to most muffins. For baking enthusiasts: the reason for this is because sour cream is thicker than milk so you don’t need as much flour in the batter to get it to the right consistency. Less flour = more moist crumb.
Olive oil – This too helps keep the crumb moist. This is because butter, the other most common fat used in baking, adds lovely buttery flavour but it firms up at room temperature = drier crumb. Oil, on the other hand, remains in liquid form which means the crumb is more moist.
Egg – This is the binding agent in the batter. We only use 1 egg and this is another reason the shelf life of this bread is so great: because more egg in batters = drier crumb.
Salt – For seasoning.
Toppings
I’m going for quick ‘n easy today, so I’ve used a store bought pizza sauce. However, if you’re a better person than me, please feel free to make your own (any of the 3 options are great).
Pizza sauce – As noted above, this is just store bought. Use any flavour your heart desires!
Toppings – Pepperoni, sliced olives, onion and green capsicum / bell peppers (yup, missing from photo above and half the pizza photos!). Feel free to use whatever you want.
Shredded cheese – I just use the same cheese as noted above in the batter.
How to make my easy pizza bread
You’re going to LOVE how easy this is! Ready?
Whisk Dry ingredients in a bowl. I whisk the dry first so the whisk stays clean to use for the wet ingredients!
Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
Combine – Pour the Wet ingredients into the Dry ingredients then mix with a rubber spatula until the flour is mostly mixed in but you can still see a bit. It will still be lumpy – that’s ok!
Add cheese then mix until you can no longer see flour. If the batter still has some small flour lumps, that’s fine as they will bake out. What you do not want to do is mix too much because this will activate the gluten in the flour and make the crumb hard and dense.
Spread the batter into a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13″) lined metal pan. I spray with oil then line the base and long sides with a single large sheet of paper, with overhang to make it easy to lift out later. There’s no need to line the short sides if you spray with oil.
Ceramic and glass pans will also work but the bread will rise a smidge less and I would add an extra 3 minutes to the bake time. This is because glass takes a little longer to heat up.
Toppings – Spread with pizza sauce, then top with cheese, onion, capsicum (which I forgot in half the photos!), olives and pepperoni (in that order).
Bake 40 minutes – Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Then pop a baking tray on top and bake for a further 15 minutes. This will stop the cheese from getting a little too golden.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then 10 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing to serve.
It’s important to follow recipe directions for cooling baked goods because they finish cooking inside. If you slice this bread when it’s piping hot, straight out of the oven, then the inside will taste a bit “doughy” and undercooked.
This bread will still be warm after 20 minutes resting time. But it’s also specifically designed to be tasty at room temperature, for popping into lunch boxes! And it will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
How to serve Lunchbox Pizza Bread
As mentioned at the top, this pizza bread is designed to be eaten at room temperature like a savoury muffin rather than piping-hot-straight-out-of-the-oven like pizza, easy to make in bulk (do 2 pans at once!) and freezes perfectly.
Which means it’s:
great to pop into lunch boxes – the original idea I had when I decided I set out to create this recipe, hence the name! Pictured in post (top) with a homemade muesli bar.
ideal to take into work for a shared morning tea
a handy breakfast on the run
useful to feed permanently hungry teenagers
It’s about 70% cheaper than buying pizza rolls from Bakers Delight. And finally, my last effort to convince you to try this? There’s nothing like homemade. Right? – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Lunchbox pizza bread (quick)
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
- 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).
- Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl until combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake 40 min – Bake 25 minutes uncovered. Cover with a baking tray (or foil) then bake for a further 15 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Raise your hand if you think I said “yes Dozer, go ahead and have a swim in that stinky golf dam filled with decaying aquatic plants. I really love how you smell afterwards!”. 😖
This is so easy to make and it’s delicious. The mixing was so easy and if you prep the toppings before making the dough, it goes so fast.
Because I like a thin crust, I used a 12 x17 in. pan and it worked perfectly for my taste.
I topped the dough with sauce, thinly-sliced onions, pepperoni and cherry tomatoes halfed because that’s my usual favorite. Yummy!
Afterwards, I cut it into portions, wrapped them and froze for later snack attacks or lunches. lol
Thanks for the great recipe. It’s a keeper.
My base came out too dry 😞 I wanted it to be a hit, but the kids gave it 2 thumbs down because of the base.
That’s sad to hear Natasha. Did you use all the ingredients called for in the recipe? Specifically, the sour cream and oil? The crumb is specifically designed to be anything but dry! The shelf life of the bread is much longer than typical muffins and similar
Nagi, I had the same issue, but used the Greek yoghurt sub.
Any ideas where I might have gone wrong?
Looks and tastes fabulous! I didn’t have pepperoni or sour cream so I subbed with a kransky and greek yoghurt. Your instant pizza sauce recipe was perfect. Added a few mushrooms too. Thank you Nagi for another winner! Better than Baker’s Delight, and I will never buy pizza sauce again 😄
I made this in muffin pans (travelling and that was what I had) and it worked really well! Reduced the second covered cook time from 25 to 5 mins otherwise same. Made a heap! Thanks Nagi for another fabulous food option.
Did you use parchment paper ‘lifters’ in each little muffin tin well? Or grease well? Or…?
TY
I have a silicone muffin tray, not metal. It dies not require baking paper or greasing, they just slide out. Purchased at Coles ( if you’re in Aust.)
This is genius!
Absolutely delicious!!
Thank You Nagi – you are truly inspirational.
Fantastic- love this. This is great for the lunchbox for everyone in the family!!!
Great easy recipe. Was a hit in the lunch box and will be in the cooking rotation regularly. Love your recipes.
Excellent!!! tried similar things before but never as amazing as this it will be repeated for sure
Loved this. So quick and easy and it was a hit.
I think you could put many different toppings on this too.
I am so glad I stumbled across this recipe when following the link to the mango pancakes! My 9 year old daughter and I have just made it and it is divine!!! So easy and tastes way better than store bought pizza buns. This is a lunchbox game changer.
Great recipe! I am going to make it for my dentally compromised elderly mom. She loves pizza but has trouble eating the crust. This tender cheesy bread is just the thing!
Any chance making this gluten free (Casava, almond flour… etc) and if yes, what do you recommend and do I need to change anything to the dry ingredients?
Hi Judy!
I made it with King Arthur GF flour… same measurement that it calls for in the original recipe. I would stick to GF flour blends that have xantham gum in them (like King Arthur or Pillsbury) rather than casava or almond.
You have my kids stamp of approval!!
Delicious.
I used Greek yogurt in the base. Perfect .
Love your recipes Nagi, if freezing this how would you recommend bringing it back to life, ie warm and delightful 😊
Do you have an air fryer? I find mine really useful for heating up normal pizza without drying it out too much
Made this. My son thinks I’m a walking goddess. I’m taking the win!!! Thank you for yet another great recipe, Nagi. Now to make your Rogan Josh for hubby so he too will think I’m a goddess! 🤣 Have a great day Nagi!
Mmmmmm: I am demolishing a slice of this right now and super tasty: thank you for another brilliant recipe. Didn’t have pizza sauce for the base so used Riccardo’s tomato salsa (from a farm shop in Port Macquarie) as the pizza sauce – wow!
This is delicious! So easy to make. Made as per recipe and it was great! The beauty of the recipe is that you can pretty much add any topping that you like. Ham, pineapple and chilli next time it’ll be. Thank you Nagi! My work lunches have just gotten a bit more interesting.
Mango pancakes pretty please 🙂 !
Hey Nagi,
The mango receipe is the pizza lunch box receipe.
It’s ok, tech does not work all the time
Also, congrats on the award. I donate to Ronald McDonald house every year