This cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread is a true crowd-pleasing appetizer. Use ready-made pizza dough from the grocery store deli and you'll have this on the table in a snap!
2lb.frozen or refrigerated pizza doughthawed if frozen
5oz.package pepperoni slices
8oz.block low moisture part-skim mozzarella cheesecubed to 1/2 inch pieces
2tablespoonschopped flat leaf Italian parsleyoptional
Marinara saucefor serving
Instructions
Lightly coat a 10 cup bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set aside.
On a floured work surface, roll out 1 lb. of pizza dough using a rolling pin to roughly a 13x9 –inch rectangle. Cold dough will want to snap back, so pick up the dough and stretch it with your hands, working it to form the rectangle. Or, let the dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to loosen.
Cut the rectangle using a pizza wheel or large chef’s knife into 1 1/2-inch x 2-inch squares (or thereabouts).
Place a single pepperoni and a single cheese cube on top of dough square. Fold (and stretch if needed) the dough edges inward and pinch the edges together tightly. Repeat with remaining dough squares.
Toss the stuffed dough pieces in the olive oil mixture and layer into the bundt pan.
Repeat the rolling/shaping, cutting, and filling with the second 1 lb. pizza dough. Toss in the remaining olive oil mixture and transfer the pieces to the bundt pan. Tamp the pieces down gently with your fingertips.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Let the bread stand in the pan at room temperature while the oven preheats.
Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until it is well-puffed, fragrant, and golden brown on top. Let the bread cool in the pan 5-10 minutes before turning it out onto a large serving plate. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
Notes
Use a bundt pan that doesn’t have a lot of detail. This recipe works best in a standard ridged pan (as pictured).If you don't have a bottle of Italian seasoning on hand, you can make your own blend using 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme. This will equal the 2 tablespoons needed for this recipe.
Keyword italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, pizza dough