Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread
I haven’t been this excited about something since the last time I saw the words “Honey Boo Boo“ on my DVR. I may or may not have made the claim in last week’s newsletter that the recipe I was posting today is my new favorite recipe on the site … of all time. In existence. Ever.
Allow me to introduce you to Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread, featuring 20 layers of homemade dough sandwiched together with tangy tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni slices, which are then stacked and brushed with melted garlic butter. Are you still with me?
What more could you need in a back-to-school (or in my case, back-to-football season) snack? While developing this recipe, I shared the below snap on Instagram as a quick tip for getting bread to rise: Turn your dryer into an at-home proofing box! Simply run your dryer for a few minutes then shut it off. Place your covered bowl of dough inside and shut the door.
Soon enough the Interwebs lit up with excitement and countless other suggestions for the perfect warm, dark places for getting a rise (sorry, I had to) out of your dough. I filed this recipe under the “Foods I Could Eat My Body Weight In” category, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
SavePepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread
Yield: Makes one 9-inch loaf
Prep Time: 2 hours (includes proofing)
Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)
1/3 cup whole milk
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperatureFor the toppings:
1/2 cup pizza or marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, mincedDirections:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 6 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted. Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the water. Let set until it reaches 120-130ºF.
Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients, using a spatula to fold them together just until combined.
Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, kneading in between each addition so that the eggs are fully incorporated.
Stop the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour, kneading it on low speed until the dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 3 more tablespoons flour and knead just until the dough is soft, but still slightly sticky.
Lightly flour your work surface, and then turn the dough out onto the surface, kneading it 5 or 6 times just until it comes together into a ball.
Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and secure it tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof in a warm, dry place for one hour, or until it doubles in size. (See Kelly's Notes.)
Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle measuring roughly 20"x11". Brush the dough with the sauce, sprinkle it with the cheese and top it with the pepperoni. (See Kelly's Notes.)
Trim the edges, discarding any scraps, to make straight sides along the rectangle.
Cut the rectangle (width-wise) into 5 equal strips. Stack the strips atop one another and then cut the strips into 4 equal parts to make a total of 20 squares. (See Kelly's Notes.)
Lightly butter a 9"x5" loaf pan. Stack the squares against each other, cut-sides down. (There will be extra space on both sides.) Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it proof for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.
Preheat the oven to 350FºF.
Stir together the melted butter and minced garlic.
Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake it for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, brush the top of the loaf with the garlic butter, and then return it to the oven to continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a serving plate.
Kelly's Notes:
One of the most effective ways I've found to proof any type of bread is to run my dryer for a few minutes, and then shut it off and place the covered bowl of dough inside. Shut the dryer door and voila! Your very own warm, dark proofing box.
Feel free to get creative with your toppings, opting for any combination of your usual favorites, such as olives, peppers, sausage, etc.
It helps to have a very sharp knife or pizza wheel for cutting the dough into strips and squares.
Dough recipe adapted from Chez Us.
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Kevin (Closet Cooking) — September 19, 2012 @ 7:14 am
What a fun take on pizza!
Julie @ Table for Two — September 19, 2012 @ 8:08 am
this looks amazing and fun way to eat pizza!! your slices are so perfectly straight! thank you for the sweet idea of proofing in a dryer – amazing!!
shelly (cookies and cups) — September 19, 2012 @ 8:48 am
This looks perfect! I love that idea of the dryer proofing box! Awesome!
kelley {mountain mama cooks} — September 19, 2012 @ 9:32 am
Yes, please. This looks amazingly decadent and the perfect half-time food for football season. Bring the cheesiness on!
Melissa {Being a Bear} — September 19, 2012 @ 9:45 am
Good lord. I want to say more, but it’s hard to type without looking away from the photographs, and I’m not willing to do that. I love the dryer idea, too, by the way – I have the hardest time getting a good rise out of my doughs, and this may be a lifesaver!
Julia @ Live Pretty — September 19, 2012 @ 10:13 am
This looks AMAZING! What a great idea!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. — September 19, 2012 @ 10:16 am
omg how fabulous!!
Diane, A Broad — September 19, 2012 @ 10:40 am
This. Is brilliant. Beer and pizza pull-apart bread for all!
elizabeth @ chronic venture — September 19, 2012 @ 10:44 am
oh my gosh amazing!! the bread and the tip for the dryer. thank you thank you!!
Bev @ Bev Cooks — September 19, 2012 @ 11:40 am
I am sooo going to make a version of this next week omgaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
amelia from z tasty life — September 19, 2012 @ 12:38 pm
I always love “different” methods and approaches for classic dishes. Very creative!
Rachel @ Bakerita — September 19, 2012 @ 1:03 pm
This literally is just mean! My friends and I have been discussing making a monkey bread version of this for weeks…we might have to make this instead! It looks phenomenal…sign me up.
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel — September 19, 2012 @ 1:38 pm
I absolutely need this!
Cassie — September 19, 2012 @ 4:17 pm
I love everything about this, such a fun way to eat pizza, Kelly!
Kirsten — September 19, 2012 @ 5:19 pm
Could you use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry instead of making the dough??
Kelly Senyei replied: — September 19th, 2012 @ 5:22 pm
Hi Kirsten – I haven’t made it using packaged puff pastry, so I cannot say with certainty that you’ll get the same result, but I would guess that store-bought pizza dough would provide a closer result than puff pastry. Hope this helps!
Laura — September 19, 2012 @ 10:38 pm
What a great tip to allow dough to rise in the dryer! By the way, I discovered your blog after I started reading your Dummies book on food blogging. I had a food blog for about six months and abandoned it because it was taking too much time (I’m a perfectionist!) but I’m thinking about getting back to it. I really appreciate how positive and motivating your book is to get started in food blogging. The pizza looks wonderful too!
Kelly Senyei replied: — September 19th, 2012 @ 10:41 pm
Thanks so much, Laura! Don’t hesitate to be in touch if you ever have any questions. You can reach me at kelly@justataste.com. So glad you’re enjoying the book!
Karista @Karista's Kitchen — September 20, 2012 @ 2:31 am
I saw the picture, read the title and immediately started drooling! I know why this is now your fave recipe on your blog. This will be a hit in my house!
Jennifer Brown — September 20, 2012 @ 12:21 pm
Now I know what to use my drying rack for! =)
Rachel Cooks — September 20, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
Looks like something I could eat a wholllle lot of!
anne — September 21, 2012 @ 2:53 am
SCRUMPTIOUSLY GORGEOUS !!!!!
Will try to make this next week !
Carrie @ Kiss My Whisk — September 21, 2012 @ 10:53 am
Looks amazing, I confident I could devour that loaf in a matter of minutes.
Michelle — September 21, 2012 @ 1:09 pm
That proofing idea is brilliant! I almost always leave my dough to rise in the laundry room as it is, but this takes it to the next level. Definitely tucking that knowledge in my back pocket.
dianawidjaja — September 23, 2012 @ 9:51 am
Like it!.. will give it a try for sure
JulieD — September 23, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
Wow, that looks amazing, Kelly! I love your photos and the step-by-step photos are awesome!!
Ashley — September 24, 2012 @ 8:09 am
Made this last night for the football crowd…it was gone in seconds! Such a cool presentation and the dough was so easy to work with. Will definitely become a household favorite!
bakingismyzen — September 27, 2012 @ 5:56 am
Love this idea!!
Carmen
Pizza Pull-Apart Bread | the pike place kitchen — October 2, 2012 @ 2:47 am
[...] post, it was only fitting to feature a pizza recipe that I had been DYING to try. I found this recipe over on Just a Taste; Kelly is my newest obsession. So, this pizza pull-apart bread… [...]
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[...] the first fall took place on September 19th, 2012 when Kelly posted her Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread. I ’bout had 13.5 conniptions right then and there. Ugh, and it’s so unfair. She made [...]
Juliawannabe — October 3, 2012 @ 10:48 am
Another way to proof bread, turn the oven light on and set the dough inside, works well.
Des @ Life's Ambrosia — October 3, 2012 @ 11:36 pm
Have Mercy….this looks beyond amazing.
Tracey @cookingwitlove — October 10, 2012 @ 12:08 pm
Oh my word, this looks good! Your pictures are fabulous!!!
Yoey — October 13, 2012 @ 6:52 pm
This was great! I used a pasta sauce, and I think a thicker pizza sauce would work better as much of mine cooked out the bottom (i think? or maybe I didn’t put enough on), but it was still great! The dough ended up incredible…just perfect consistency baked and how it peals off in the layer, delicious. I’m actually thinking it could almost serve as a savory bread more than just variation on pizza. Maybe something with cheese and veggies, more harvest oriented for thanksgiving/fall. As per all the recipes posted on Justataste, I am always amazed with the success I have. You test out and create recipes that are replicable in form and taste, even for a guy who just uses his hands/a spoon for mixing…k barbaridad–una maravilla!
Kelly Senyei replied: — October 15th, 2012 @ 10:30 am
I absolutely love your comments, Yoey! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza pull-apart bread and I hope you’re doing well!
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meesh — December 7, 2012 @ 10:49 am
just made this last night and it was WONDERFUL. great recipe. this is the first time I ever used yeast and made a