There are many different types of foods that we may enjoy eating as a family but one that seems to work its way into almost every routine is pizza. As a matter of fact, it is one of those types of foods that even has its own night in most cases, and what family doesn't have a "pizza night" that they faithfully adhere to each and every week? I know our family absolutely loves pizza but sometimes, it's nice to shake things up a little bit and try something new. No, I'm not talking about skipping the pizza, I'm talking about trying a different type of pizza. Most of us would consider pizza pie to be a meal, and it certainly can be a meal all on its own. Yes, we might eat it with chicken wings or perhaps have some dessert but in most cases, a pizza pie or two is all that is really necessary to keep the entire family happy. What if I were to tell you that you can also enjoy pizza as an appetizer? That is what this unique pull apart pizza bread brings to the table and everybody is going to love it!
When it comes to making an appetizer for friends or family, I tend to look for some very specific criteria. First of all, it has to be delicious because quite honestly, life is far too short to eat something that is less than delicious. Another thing that I absolutely look for is that the food has to be easy to make. I don't have the time to slave over a stove to make an appetizer when I also need to worry about the main course and potentially the desert. That is why this pizza pull apart bread is the perfect recipe.
The ingredients for the recipe are relatively simple, which is something that I love. In fact, you can throw them together in just a few minutes and before you know it, you'll be pulling some warm pizza bread out of the oven. Here is a basic list of the ingredients that you will need.
1 tube pizza crust
1 cup mozzarella cheese,
½ cup of cheddar cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
18 ounces of pepperoni
1 tablespoon of fresh garlic
½ teaspoon of garlic salt or powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
If you notice, this recipe is for a pepperoni pizza bread but one of the beautiful things about pizza is the fact that there are so many different types of toppings available. If your family happens to love another type of topping, regardless of whether it is bacon, sausage, peppers, onions or even anchovies, there is nothing wrong with you adding some of it into the mix. In fact, the beauty of this recipe is also in its versatility.
While you are putting everything together, go ahead and turn on your oven to 350°F. It is always best to preheat the oven because it allows for a more even cooking of the food. If you tend to put your food into the oven before it is preheated, you might end up under-cooking it or perhaps getting it too dry on the inside because the outside doesn't get baked quickly.
While the oven is preheating, you can grease the pan that you will use for the pizza bread. Some people use a Bundt pan but you can use a cake pan, bread pan or any type of pan that you really desire. Roll the pizza dough and then cut it into small squares that are approximately 1 inch in size. Roll those pieces of dough into small balls and put them in a bowl.
At this point, you begin to add the additional ingredients, such as the cheese and the pepperoni. Once everything is mixed together nicely, put it into the oven and bake it until it is golden brown. In most cases, this is going to take about 30 minutes but you should be aware that every oven is different and there are going to be variations, depending upon your ingredients. Make sure that you check it frequently so that you pull it out at just the right time.
Finally, serve it up on a platter with a dish of your favorite sauce. Make sure that the sauce is warm so that it is absolutely the best appetizer that you could possibly make. Believe me, people are going to be raving about this pull apart pizza bread for years to come.
This video shows you how to make it, step-by-step:
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