Pizza Monkey Bread Recipe

While it's hard to resist a classic sweet monkey bread in all its gooey, sticky glory, this recipe is a savory version that has all the cheesy goodness of pizza and makes an impressive party or game day snack. Form an easy yeasted dough into balls, stuff them with cubes of mozzarella cheese, and roll each in lots of butter, Parmesan cheese, and oregano. Bake until golden brown, then pull each cheese-filled nugget off and dip into marinara sauce. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

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Pizza Monkey Bread

Makes: 8-10 servings

Total Time:  About 2 hours, plus at least 3 hours rising time
Hands-On Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Special Equipment: 1 (12-cup) Bundt pan

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INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
Vegetable oil  or cooking spray, for coating the bowl
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and at room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

To assemble and serve:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
6 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated on the small holes of a box grater (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 ounces whole or skim-milk mozzarella cheese (not water packed)
2 cups marinara sauce, warmed

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INSTRUCTIONS
For the dough:

1. Lightly coat a large bowl with vegetable oil or spray and set it aside.
   
2. Place the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand to combine; set aside.
3. Heat the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch but not hot (between 105°F and 115°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 4 minutes.
4. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and add the butter, egg, and egg yolk. Fit the bowl onto the stand mixer and mix with the hook attachment on medium-low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
   
5. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the prepared bowl, and turn to coat it in the oil or spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until tripled in volume, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight.)

To assemble and serve:

1. If the dough rose overnight in the refrigerator, let it sit covered in the bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
2. Melt the butter and place in a shallow dish. Stir in the oregano, and garlic and set aside. Generously coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with some of the butter mixture; set the pan aside.
3. Place the Parmesan in a second shallow dish and set aside. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch pieces (you will need 64); set aside.
4. Place the dough on a work surface and pat it into an 8-inch square. Use a large knife to score the dough into 64 (1-inch) squares, then cut the dough along the scored lines into pieces.
5. Place a piece of cheese on a dough square and stretch each square over the cheese to completely cover it. Roll the dough between your palms into a rough ball and return it to the work surface.
6. Working with 8 dough balls at a time, roll them in the butter mixture to coat. Then drop them in the Parmesan and roll to coat. Place the coated dough balls into the prepared pan, layering them over any spaces as you go. (Don't worry about being too precise.) When you're done, you should have about 3 layers of dough and the pan should be about half full. Drizzle the remaining butter mixture (reheating as needed so the butter is melted) and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the bread.
7. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area until the pan is about two-thirds full, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
8. Arrange a rack in the bottom third and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place on the rack while the oven heats.
   
9. Remove the plastic wrap from the Bundt pan. Bake until the bread is browned and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (test in a few places, as you may hit a pocket of cheese), about 35 to 40 minutes. (Check the bread after 20 minutes: If the top is starting to look too dark, loosely cover the top of the bread with a sheet of aluminum foil.)
10. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Place a large plate over the Bundt pan to completely cover it, then flip the pan over to release the bread. Carefully remove the pan and serve the bread warm with the marinara sauce.