Description
This festive Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread is a fun and delicious appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. Soft pizza dough balls stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese are arranged in a charming tree shape, brushed with a flavorful buttery garlic and Italian seasoning mixture, baked until golden brown, and served with marinara sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough and Cheese
- 33 pieces pizza dough
- 33 pieces mozzarella cheese
Butter Mixture
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking the pull-apart bread.
- Cut dough into pieces: Flour your countertop lightly and place the pizza dough on top. Cut the dough into 33 equal small pieces to prepare for stuffing.
- Cut mozzarella cheese: Similarly cut the mozzarella cheese into 33 small pieces to match the dough pieces for stuffing.
- Stuff dough with cheese: Flatten one piece of dough, place a piece of mozzarella in the center, and then gather the dough around the cheese. Pinch the seams to seal the cheese inside the dough ball securely.
- Form all cheese-filled dough balls: Repeat the process to form all 33 cheese-stuffed dough balls that will make up the tree.
- Arrange dough balls in tree shape: On the prepared baking pan, arrange the dough balls starting with a base row of 7, then 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 ball in subsequent rows, building the triangle shape of a Christmas tree.
- Create the star and stem: Place three additional balls arranged around the top ball for the star shape. Then place the last two balls at the base as the tree’s stem.
- Prepare butter mixture: In a bowl, whisk together melted butter, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and dried Italian seasoning until fully combined for brushing on the bread.
- Brush dough balls with butter mixture: Use a pastry brush to generously coat each dough ball with the butter mixture, enhancing flavor and promoting a golden crust.
- Bake the bread: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the pull-apart bread turns a beautiful golden brown and cheese is melted inside.
- Serve: Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy your festive cheesy pull-apart bread!
Notes
- You can substitute mozzarella with any melty cheese like provolone or fontina for a different flavor.
- Make sure to pinch the dough tightly to avoid cheese oozing out while baking.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle fresh parsley or chopped basil on top after baking.
- The marinara sauce can be warmed slightly for better dipping experience.
- This bread is best enjoyed fresh but can be reheated in the oven for a few minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 3 cheese balls)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
