Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

So I’m a little obsessed with the Great British Baking Show, which is a PBS-based baking competition featuring amateur bakers and two hilarious comedians for hosts (oh, and two steely-eyed judges). The whole series is now on Netflix and I have cruised through the first three seasons in three weeks… basically I’m totally obsessed.

The latest episode I watched was all about bread and the contestants needed to make a braided, savory, stuffed, ENRICHED bread loaf. And I was totally inspired.

An enriched bread dough is a dough that has butter/milk/eggs added to it to give it a lovely rich texture. It’s a basically souped up yeasted dough. And it’s so easy to make!

While making enriched bread dough is easy, I can’t braid to save my life…. so I skipped over the plaiting requirement and made a stuffed pull-apart bread. Because I am the master of pull-apart bread (or as the bakers call it – tear-and-share). While the bakers on the show used olives or pesto or spices, I decided to take a more basic approach.

I stuffed it with my favorite pizza toppings.

Because nothing says Friday night dinner like Pizza Pull-Apart Bread.

And it couldn’t be easier to make!

It all started with making the dough.

I heated up butter, skim milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan until the butter was melted (this is the “enriched” part). I let the mixture cool until it reached 110-115 degrees and poured it into the bowl of my stand mixer. I tossed in all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, and beaten eggs and then mixed the whole dough mixture together until a smooth, sticky ball formed. I had a little flour on standby in case if the dough was too sticky.

When the dough ball came together, I removed it from the bowl, sprayed the bowl with cooking spray, then popped the dough back into the bowl. I covered it with plastic wrap and a tea towel, then set it in a warm place to rise for 90 minutes.

With about 10 minutes before the first rise was over, I made the yummy cheese mixture.

Some shredded part-skim mozzarella + dried oregano + crushed red pepper flakes. I tossed everything together and set it aside as I waited for the rise to finish.

To make the loaves, I punched down the dough, cut it in half, and laid one half on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, I rolled out the dough to about a quarter-inch thick. Using the top of a mason jar, I cut out ten circles from the dough. I took the circle and flattened it slightly and then stuck in some cheese and my favorite pizza toppings (like this uncured salami!). Then I folded it in half, and set it fold side down in the middle of a greased loaf pan. I repeated with the other nine circles. When that loaf pan had ten folded circles, I covered the pan with a sheet of greased plastic wrap and repeated the whole process with the other half of the dough.

Let the dough rise for another 90 minutes. To bake, pop the loaf pans into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. About five minutes prior to removing the bread from the oven, I brushed the top with a olive oil/garlic/parsley spread.

YUM.

It’s doughy, crispy, hearty, and delicate all at the same time.

(and delicious dunked in marinara sauce)

It’s pizza reimagined!

Happy Friday, all!

oxox,
Catherine

Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

 

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Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

3 hours 30 mins

 

Serves: 20 pieces

Ingredients

For the Bread:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, beaten

For the Filling:

• ¼ pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 10-20 pieces of salami

For the Topping:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, heat butter, skim milk, sugar, and salt over low heat until the butter is melted. Let the mixture cool until it reached 110-115 degrees.
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, and beaten eggs. Mix the dough together until a smooth, sticky ball formed. Add in some additional flour if the dough is too sticky to form a dough ball.
3. When the dough ball came together, remove it from the bowl, spray the bowl with cooking spray, then popped the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel, then set it in a warm place to rise for 90 minutes.
4. With about 10 minutes before the first rise was over, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine cheese, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Set it aside until dough has risen.
5. To make the loaves, punch down the dough, cut it in half, and lay one half on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a quarter-inch thick. Using the top of a mason jar, cut out ten circles from the dough. Place a piece (or two, overlapping) of salami in the middle of the dough circle, sprinkle over some cheese mixture, fold it in half, and set it fold side down in the middle of a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other nine circles. When that loaf pan had ten folded circles, cover the pan with a sheet of greased plastic wrap and repeated the whole process with the other half of the dough.
6. Let the dough rise for another 90 minutes.
7. Make the topping - combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
8. Pop the loaf pans into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, brushing the topping over the top of the loaf with about five minutes prior to it being done. Turn the loaf out of the pan and enjoy warm!

Notes

Note: You can use whatever pizza toppings you like here - you can even alternate ingredients in the loaf!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 171 calories Fat: 6gm Saturated fat: 3gm Carbohydrates: 22gm Sodium: 187mg Fiber: 1gm Protein: 6gm Cholesterol: 31mg

3.5.3236