Braided Bread

1 loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed

⅓ pound hard salami, thinly sliced

⅓ pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten

Poppy seeds

The day before: Place frozen bread dough in a well-oiled bread pan; cover with plastic wrap and let bread rise overnight at room temperature.

When ready to bake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and let thawed dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Roll out dough until it covers entire cookie sheet. Cut 3-inch slits from the outer edge to the middle at 1-inch intervals down the long sides of the dough. Layer salami down the center of dough, overlapping the pieces. Top with provolone layered the same way.

Crisscross the dough from side to side at an angle over the cheese and salami. Brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bread is baked through. Slice and serve while hot.

Serves 12 to 16.