Never have I ever met a pull-apart bread I didn’t like. From the sweet to the savory and the orderly to the unruly, there’s something magical about these loaves, the way the pieces of dough soak up flavor like a sponge, fit together and fuse.
Whether you like to bake bread or break bread, this recipe is for you. It’s easy and fun to make and the finished product is appetizing and alluring. What starts as a simple yeast dough quickly transforms into something unique, thanks to the addition of bright cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a generous glug of olive oil that’s been infused with fresh basil and garlic.
While the bread bakes, these ingredients soften, melt and permeate the nooks and crannies. So when you tear into it, you’ll discover pockets of juicy fruit and ooey, gooey cheese – it’s amazing. But the best part, in my opinion? The morsels near the bottom, where the excess olive oil has collected. These are the pieces you’ll be fighting over – I guarantee it.
Recipe adapted from Carmel Moments.
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- handful fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
- In a large bowl, heat milk and water until warm - about 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Add the yeast and sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the dough ingredients (butter through salt) to the milk mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it’s smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (or less if using a stand mixer). Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, combine the olive oil, basil and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down and cut it into 1" pieces. Roll each piece of dough in the oil mixture and transfer to the prepared pan; continue until the bottom of the pan is covered. Then sprinkle on half of the tomatoes and half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining dough pieces to the pan and top with the rest of the tomatoes and cheese.
- Cover loaf with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- About 15 minutes before dough has finished rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove pan from the oven and turn out bread onto a wire rack. Let cool slightly before serving.
Your pictures turned out gorgeous! So glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it.
Happy Thursday!
Thanks so much, Melanie! Can’t wait to make it again!
Can you recommend a gluten free option?
Hi Caitlin – Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience with gluten-free baking so don’t have any tips to share.
This looks so amazing. I was thinking about bringing it to a party after work on Monday, but I won’t be able to do all of the prepwork in time to take it. Could I do the prep work on Sunday night, then leave it in the fridge for about a day and then bake it? What would you suggest?
Hi Kara – An even easier option is to prep and bake the bread on Sunday, let it cool completely, wrap it in a plastic bag (or two) and pop it in freezer. Then all you have to do is defrost it on Monday morning!