Braided Sandwiches

This braided BBQ chicken sandwich made for a simple, tasty dinner last night!  We are going to be experimenting with different sandwich fillings and making this often this summer.

This recipe makes 2 large sandwich braids.

Roll Dough:
1 1/2 C warm water
1 TBSP active dry yeast
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp salt
4 C (give or take a little bit) flour

BBQ Chicken Filling (amounts are up to taste...do you want it cheesier, saucier, etc.):
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
favorite BBQ sauce
mozarella cheese
cheddar cheese

Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the mixture gets frothy.
Add in the oil, salt and 2 C of flour.  Mix until smooth (I used a KitchenAid mixer).
Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is still tacky but has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead in the mixer for 3-4 minutes or by hand for 8-10 minutes.
Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover lightly for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 400.
Punch the dough down and split it in half.
Roll out one half on a greased cookie sheet.
Using a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) make slices on the outside 1/3's of the dough rectangle.
Add half of the chicken and sauce to the middle of the dough.

Sprinkle with the cheeses and then "braid" the dough by folding over one strip from each side at a time and layering it with the opposite strip of dough.

Fold the last two strips up to close the end of the sandwich.
Repeat the process for the second sandwich.
Let the sandwiches sit for about 15 minutes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the dough is cooked through and golden.

*This recipe is from melskitchencafe.com