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Pull-Apart Pizza Bread Recipe

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4.3 from 64 reviews

This Pull Apart Pizza Bread recipe features soft, flavorful yeast dough pockets layered with classic pizza toppings such as pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, baked until golden and perfect for sharing. It’s a fun twist on traditional pizza, allowing you to pull apart each stuffed bread piece, ideal for parties or casual meals.

  • Author: Sarah
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons (30mL) warm water
  • 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (3.5g) active dry yeast or ½ of one packet
  • ½ cup (120mL) warm milk (preferably whole cow’s milk)
  • 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 and ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour

Filling and Topping Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) pizza sauce
  • ½ cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 12 pieces thinly sliced pepperoni (about 1″ diameter slices)
  • ½ Tablespoon (8mL) olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons (11g) grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Activate the Yeast: Place the 2 tablespoons of warm water in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Whisk gently with a fork or spoon and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes until it becomes bubbly and active.
  2. Combine Wet Ingredients: Once the yeast is active, add the warm milk, sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, melted butter, and the room temperature egg. Whisk everything together until well combined.
  3. Add the Flour: Gradually stir in the flour using a wooden spoon or stand mixer dough hook. Add the flour cup by cup until the dough begins to come together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, though still shaggy.
  4. Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and have a texture similar to PlayDoh.
  5. First Rise: Lightly grease the bowl with non-stick spray or olive oil. Place the dough ball in the bowl, flip to coat all sides, cover with a towel or lid, and place in a warm spot (such as inside an oven preheated to 200ºF then turned off with the door cracked). Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
  6. Punch Down and Divide: After rising, punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Stretch each piece into a roughly 4-inch diameter disc.
  7. Fill and Shape: Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. On half of each disc, spread about 2 teaspoons of pizza sauce, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of shredded mozzarella, and place one slice of pepperoni. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and place the folded edge down in the loaf pan. Arrange all pieces snugly in the pan.
  8. Add Toppings and Second Rise: Drizzle olive oil over the top of the arranged dough pieces. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning on top. Optionally, add extra shredded mozzarella. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for another 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
  9. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and place the rack in the middle position. Bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and cooked through.
  10. Cool and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before turning out and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra pizza sauce for dipping if desired. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.

Notes

  • Pizza Sauce: Use more sauce for dipping if you prefer, or substitute with pasta sauce.
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Pre-shredded or freshly shredded is fine. Any melty pizza blend cheese can be substituted.
  • Pepperoni: Use standard approximately 1-inch diameter pieces or mini pepperoni (3-4 mini slices per regular slice). You can also tuck extra pepperoni slices between the dough pieces. Pepperoni is optional.
  • Working with Yeast: For best results, keep liquids warm but not hot. See additional yeast baking tips to help troubleshoot rising and dough texture.

Find it online: https://cookingwithsarah.com/pull-apart-pizza-bread-recipe/