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Cheesy Pull-Apart Pesto Bread

My cheesy pull-apart pesto bread is so incredibly delicious, a combination of salty, fresh pesto, mozzarella and parmesan, and fluffy dough. Listen, it's literally the best of all those worlds. And, it's easy to eat because you can pull it apart!
Basically, you make the dough. Then, you divide it into roughly 16-20 golf ball sized pieces, fill them with mozzarella, and shape them into balls. You coat the dough balls in pesto, then arrange them in a cast iron or oven safe circular pan. Let it rest, then sprinkle them with tons of cheese and bake! At the end, broil for a minute or two to brown the cheese even more.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 47 minutes
Course Bread, Dinner
Servings 4 people
Calories 352 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 150 mL warm water

Filling/Toppings

  • 1 1/2 cups pesto , homemade spinach pesto (see above)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 oz mozarella in ball form
  • 1/2 cup parmesan shredded or grated
  • black pepper

Instructions
 

Dough

  • In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix until combined.
  • Add the olive oil and water. Mix, then knead for 7-10 minutes until the dough bounces back.
  • Let the dough rest for an hour until doubled in size.
  • Divide the dough into 16-20 sections.

Filling/Toppings

  • Cut the mozzarella ball into 16-20 chunks, matching the amount of dough balls.
  • Taking one chunk of dough at a time, flattening it slightly. Press in a piece of cheese, then close up the dough and roll it into a ball.Set it aside, then repeat with the rest of the dough and cheese.
  • Coat each filled dough ball with pesto, then arrange them in a round cast iron or oven-safe circular pan of choice.
  • Let the bread rest for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  • Sprinkle the mozzarella, parmesan, and black pepper over the top of the bread. Bake for 20-25 mintues, then broil for 2 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then enjoy!

Notes

  • Macros: 11.3 g fat, 44.4 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein
  • See the blog post for more detailed descriptions, helpful pictures, and customization options! I also share a delicious recipe for spinach pesto. 
Keyword artisan bread, cheesy, delicious, easy, mozzarella, parmesan, pesto, pull-apart, simple