Festive Cheese Tree Bread (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (13 oz).
02 -
Baking sheet liner made of parchment.
03 -
String cheese mozzarella sticks (6-7).
04 -
One fresh egg.
05 -
A tablespoon of cold water.
06 -
Melted butter, 3 tablespoons worth.
07 -
Parmesan cheese that's grated, 1/2 cup (split in two).
08 -
Finely diced fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon.
09 -
Chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 1/2 tablespoon.
10 -
Fresh basil leaves chopped small, 1/2 tablespoon.
11 -
One garlic clove, grated finely.
12 -
Marinara sauce and/or pesto for dipping on the side.
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on to 400°F and put parchment on your baking sheet so nothing sticks when cooking.
02 -
Divide the pizza dough into 30 small squares of similar size. Next, grab your mozzarella sticks and cut them into 30 tiny chunks, roughly an inch each.
03 -
Put a chunk of cheese on each dough square. Form little balls by wrapping the dough around cheese completely, making sure to smooth out any lines where dough meets.
04 -
Place all your cheese-filled dough balls with the sealed part facing down on your parchment-lined tray. Arrange them to look like a Christmas tree, making sure they touch each other so they'll stick together during baking.
05 -
Whisk together the egg and water in a little bowl. Brush this mix softly over each ball to make them shiny when baked.
06 -
Let them cook for about 16-18 minutes until they turn a nice golden color.
07 -
While waiting, melt your butter in the microwave. Mix in half your Parmesan, the grated garlic, and all those fresh herbs until everything's well blended.
08 -
Right after taking the bread out, brush your herb-garlic butter all over it. Make sure every ball gets coated with that tasty mix. Then sprinkle the rest of your Parmesan on top.
09 -
Bring it straight to the table with some marinara or pesto for dipping. Dig in while it's hot!
# Notes:
01 -
This tasty starter looks great on your holiday table and you can switch up the cheese or herbs to match what you like.
02 -
Want something with a bit more kick? Try adding a few red pepper flakes to your butter mixture.