This do-it-yourself hen bake is enjoyable to make and at all times seems fairly with that beautiful braided bread. You get fluffy, buttery bread with a creamy, hen filling. This all-in-one meal can also be tremendous simple to move, making it the right dinner to drop off to family and friends. You’re going to like it!
For extra baked hen recipes, attempt our Hen Pot Pie or our Hen Pot Pie Casserole.
Why Our Recipe
- Higher than Costco’s model, together with a straightforward do-it-yourself bread dough.
- The creamy hen inside is loaded with bacon and cheese.
- We make ours family-style to maintain issues simple and able to serve.
Quite a lot of hen bakes use canned pastry dough, which will be handy, however this dough is really easy and provides you that gentle and fluffy do-it-yourself bread which you could’t get from a can. Our hen filling is made with gooey, shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and crispy bacon, making it completely creamy and tacky with slightly bacon crunch.
Ingredient Notes
- Hen: This recipe makes use of 2 cups of pre-cooked hen. Rotisserie hen or leftovers works completely. You may at all times bake and shred hen breasts as effectively.
- All-Objective Flour: Follow all-purpose for greatest outcomes. Bread flour additionally works.
- Immediate Dry Yeast: Make sure that to make use of on the spot which doesn’t require proofing in water earlier than including to the dough. In the event you solely have lively dry yeast, dissolve the identical quantity within the heat water for 5-10 minutes till frothy earlier than continuing.
- Water: You need the water to be between 100-110℉ to activate the yeast with out killing it. It ought to really feel heat to the contact, like a shower.
- Brown Sugar: Gentle or darkish brown sugar can be utilized. You could possibly even use granulated sugar in a pinch.
- Olive Oil: Further virgin olive oil is most well-liked for higher style, however any olive oil will work.
- Bacon: Freshly cooked bacon is right, however store-bought bacon crumbles are a handy different.
- Cream Cheese: Dice it for faster and extra even melting.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar is our favourite, however you possibly can combine issues up with pepper jack or mozzarella.
Hen Choices
This recipe requires shredded cooked hen. You’ve acquired a number of choices to select from, so take your choose!
Rotisserie Hen – many grocery shops these days promote cooked rotisserie chickens which you could purchase and shred. Enjoyable reality, it’s often bought as a “loss chief,” that means they promote it for lower than it prices, making it the very best bang to your buck in the case of hen. Some shops are additionally now providing the rotisserie hen pre-shredded and packaged too!
Frozen Cooked Hen – take a look at the freezer part of your grocery retailer for pre-cooked hen strips and chunks. They’re tremendous handy!
Bake Your Personal Hen – lay hen breasts out right into a frivolously greased 9×13 pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 levels for 25 to half-hour till cooked by way of. Chop into chunks and use immediately, or freeze for later use.
Fast Skillet Hen – warmth a big heavy skillet over medium-high warmth. Add in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place hen breasts into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook dinner 5 to 7 minutes per aspect. Let cool after which shred.
No stand mixer? No drawback!
You may simply make this dough by hand. Begin by stirring the components along with a picket spoon or spatula till the combination turns into too thick to stir. Then, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and knead the dough by hand.
Place the dough on a clear, frivolously floured floor and knead it for about 8-10 minutes. You need to work the dough till all of the flour is absolutely integrated and the dough is gentle, clean, and solely barely sticky to the contact.
It’ll take some elbow grease, however the effort is price it. Simply maintain going till the dough is clean and elastic with no lumps or dry spots.
Make-Forward Choice
Put together your dough as directed. After a 30-minute rise, divide your dough into parts and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place in an hermetic container or resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for as much as 3 days. The dough will proceed to rise slowly within the fridge. When prepared to make use of, let the dough come to room temperature earlier than tossing it or rolling it out.
Storage and Reheating Directions
Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for 3-4 days.
Reheat parts within the oven at 350 for about 8-10 minutes.
Microwave on excessive in 30-second increments, till warmed by way of.
