Homemade Monkey Bread Made with Pizza Dough

A Twist on Monkey Bread: Spicy Mozzarella Pull-Apart Bread

Homemade Monkey Bread Made with Pizza Dough

Step aside, sweet Monkey Bread! We've taken inspiration from our virtuous Home Cooking community to come up with a savory version, bursting with juicy jalapenos and oozing mozzarella. This spicy, gooey delight requires nothing more than store-bought pizza dough and a bit of assembly work. Serve it warm, accompanied by a pool of tangy marinara sauce for dipping.

Here's What You'll Need:

• Pre-made pizza dough, obtainable in 14- or 16-ounce bags from well-stocked supermarkets. Opt for homemade dough if you fancy a challenge, using our Better-Than-Takeout Pizza Dough recipe instead.

This jaw-dropping recipe was featured in our Beyond Pepperoni series, revealing six captivating ways to reinvent pizza dough.

• Yield: A heaping bowl of spicy, cheesy goodness
• Difficulty: Child's play (Easy as pie)
• Total: 50 minutes, plus 1 hour rising time

Ingredients (5)

• Store-bought pizza dough
• Cooking oil or non-stick spray
• 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Marinara sauce, for dipping

Instructions

1. Cut up a ball of store-bought pizza dough into 9 equally-sized pieces and shape each into a ball.
2. Allow the dough balls to rest for approximately 1 hour to puff up a bit.
3. Preheat your trusty oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Oil (or spray with non-stick spray) a tall oven-safe bowl to ensure your spicy dish doesn't stick.
5. Arrange 3 dough balls in the bowl’s bottom, placing a jalapeño slice on each.
6. Cover the layer with a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls, jalapeños, and cheese, ensuring the top layer consists of only dough balls.
8. Bake until the bread rises, turns golden brown, and the cheese bubbles, approximately 40 minutes.
9. Serve with marinara sauce straight from the jar or homemade variety.

Photos by Ace Collins Photography

Ignite Your Taste Buds: Creative Pizza Dough Alternatives

For those yearning for a fresh take on pizza dough, we've curated a list of inspiring dough recipes that offer exciting textures and flavors.

Unique Pizza Dough Recipes

1. Fresh Milled Flour Pizza Dough Discover a perfectly chewy and bubble-filled crust with this recipe that emphasizes using freshly milled flour. It calls for warm water, sugar, olive oil, salt, fresh-milled flour, and instant yeast. Experiment by fermenting the dough overnight for a more robust flavor.1
2. Crazy Dough Featuring common ingredients like flour, water, yeast, and salt, this versatile dough can be customized for both sweet and savory dishes. Use it to create a variety of delightful baked goods, including pizza and cinnamon rolls.4
3. Homemade Flatbread Dough Swap the pizza crust for light, delectable flatbreads by trying this non-fussy flatbread dough recipe. It's ideal for creating thin, chewy crusts and can be topped with creative ingredient combinations.3
4. Detroit Style Pizza Dough Known for its thick, crispy crust, this Detroit-style pizza dough calls for flour, instant yeast, salt, and olive oil, with a focus on a wet dough that allows flavors to blossom as it rises. You'll need a dark-interior pizza pan to achieve that perfect crispy exterior.1
5. Easy Artisan Bread Dough A rustic loaf can also double as a pizza base using this straightforward artisan bread dough recipe. It typically employs bread flour, yeast, salt, and warm water, resulting in a crusty crust that complements a myriad of toppings.2

References

[1] KitchenStrife.com (2022). Fresh Milled Flour Pizza Dough. [Online]. Available: https://kitchenstrife.com/tastybeaver-fresh-milled-flour-pizza-dough/[2] FoodNetwork.com (2021). How to Make Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes (Easy 3-step Recipe). [Online]. Available: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/artisan-bread-in-5-minutes-2162491[3] Allrecipes.com (2020). Homemade Flatbread Dough. [Online]. Available: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13685/homemade-flatbread-dough/[4] Tasty.co (2020). Crazy Dough Recipe - Make this Easy 3 Ingredient Dough for Baking. [Online]. Available: https://www.buzzfeed.com/tasty/easy-crazy-dough-recipe-baking-tasty-cooking-dessert

Making Monkey Bread Great Again: Step it Up with These Tips

• For added heat, try substituting the jalapenos with fresno, habanero, or serrano peppers to suit your spice tolerance.
• Elevate the cheesy goodness by mixing shredded cheddar, fontina, or gouda with the mozzarella for a multifaceted flavor explosion.
• Experiment with incorporating various seasonings or spices like garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, or rosemary for an array of enchanting flavors.

1. To add a nutrition-rich twist to the Spicy Mozzarella Pull-Apart Bread, consider including some chopped spinach or bell peppers in the dough balls, ensuring a balanced meal.
2. For a unique dough texture in your Spicy Mozzarella Pull-Apart Bread, try using the 'Fresh Milled Flour Pizza Dough' recipe mentioned under the 'Unique Pizza Dough Recipes' section. Their chewy and bubble-filled crust would complement the spicy, gooey delight nicely.
3. To give the 'b6505d2260ca06f739afec550de72307' recipe a sweet twist, replace the jalapeno with sliced sweet chiles and integrate some cinnamon sugar in the dough balls before baking. This would offer a lovely contrast between the savory mozzarella and the sweet dough, transforming the spicy bread into a delightful dessert.

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