I am always looking for tasty treats for the kids. But, I love a treat that allows us to sit be together to talk and eat.
We have a family meal night every Saturday and show a movie. When we do the movie, later after dinner, we look for some sort of appetizer/snack like treat. with this pizza pull-apart bread, My family loves this one. I just slap the plate and a bowl of marinara on the coffee table with snack plates and everyone leps themselves.
Now, a little note about mine…I cheat. Not sure about your area, but here at our grocery store Publix, they sell pizza dough. I skip the pizza dough part by picking this up and it is a huge timesaver.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
§ 1 3/4 cup warm water, divided
§ 1 t. sugar
§ 2 1/2 t. active dry yeast
§ 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl and springform pan
§ 4 c. bread flour
§ 1 1/2 t. salt
Instructions
1. Put 1/2 cup warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer and stir in sugar until dissolved.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over top of water/sugar mixture and let stand about 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining water and oil.
4. Add the flour and salt to the stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook.
5. Mix on low until flour is combined
6. Turn up the speed and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
7. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until it doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
Pepperoni and Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients:
§ 3 cloves garlic, minced
§ 1/3 cup salted butter
§ pizza dough (recipe above)
§ 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 40 pieces
§ 8 ox package pepperoni
§ marinara sauce, recipe below
Instructions
1. Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the butter begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.
2. Brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.
3. Divide pizza dough into four balls.
4. Take one ball and divide it into 10 pieces.
5. Flatten each piece into a disk and top with two slices of pepperoni and one cube of cheese.
6. Pinch the disk into a ball.
7. Dunk the ball in the garlic butter. (be careful not to completely submerge the ball, which would get your fingers buttery. if your fingers get buttery it becomes very difficult to pinch the dough into a ball.
8. Drop the ball in the bundt pan.
9. Repeat steps 4-8 until all dough, pepperoni, and cheese are used.
10. Cover top of pan with plastic wrap whole oven preheats to 400
11. Bake about 40 minutes or until dough is cooked throughout
12. Remove from oven and turn pan upside down onto a plate.
13. Serve with marinara (below)
Easy Marinara
Ingredients
§ 1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
§ 1 onion, peeled and halved
§ 1 clove garlic, miced
§ 5 T. salted butter
§ Salt, to taste
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to keep the sauce at a low, steady simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes as you go along with a potato masher or large fork.
4. Remove from the heat and discard the onion. Sauce will thicken as it cools.