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This Pull-Apart Pizza Bread is everything your family loves about pizza baked into a fun, pull-apart loaf. With soft centers, crispy edges, melty cheese, and pizza seasonings, this easy recipe delivers a savory version of monkey bread that everyone loves.
This recipe has been around since my childhood, and now my own kids cheer when it's on the menu, so you know it is a winner! Perfect for an appetizer, game day snack, or even low-stress dinner.
Kristen's Keys for Pizza Bread
A few small details make a big difference here and help this pizza bread bake up evenly, flavorful, and not gummy in the center.
- Use pizza dough, not biscuit dough. Pizza dough bakes up softer and more bread-like, without that canned aftertaste. It also holds onto the cheese and seasonings better, which means more flavor in every bite. Homemade pizza dough or store-bought dough work equally well.
- Don't skip the garlic oil. Brushing the pan and tossing the dough with garlic-infused oil adds flavor from the outside in and helps prevent sticking.
- Add toppings of choice OR not. Pepperoni, cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, olives, and/or sautéed mushrooms are all great options. Just keep additions modest so the bread still bakes evenly.
- Let the dough rest briefly before baking. Giving the bread 15-20 minutes to rise and relax helps the bread rise evenly instead of baking up dense.
How to Make Pizza Bread
Think of this as me standing next to you in the kitchen, pointing out where to pay attention and where you can absolutely take shortcuts.
Step One: Prepare Garlic Oil
Stir olive oil and garlic powder together until well combined. This simple step builds flavor with very little effort. Use it to lightly grease the bundt pan, mixing bowl, and brush the bread with before baking.
Add more flavor. If you happen to have my mix for bread dipping oil prepared, use that to season the olive oil rather than garlic powder alone.
Step Two: Cube Pizza Dough
Roll or pat the pizza dough into a rough rectangle, then cut it into 1-inch pieces. Don't overthink perfection here, rustic is fine but we do want the pieces to be similar in sizes for even cooking.
Step Three: Season Pizza Dough
Place the dough pieces into the oiled bowl and sprinkle the dough with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Gently toss so everything is evenly coated. You want seasoning and cheese on every piece, not just sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
Step Four: Form the Pizza Bread
Spread the dough evenly into your prepared pan. At this stage, it looks messy and slightly questionable, totally normal. As it bakes, the dough rises and the cheese melts into all those gaps, which is exactly what you want.
Step Five: Bake
Cover the pan with a clean towel while the oven preheats. This short rest helps the dough puff slightly so it bakes up tender instead of tight. Bake until the top is deeply golden and the center pieces are fully cooked through.
How do you know the pizza bread is fully cooked? If you tap the bread, it should sound hollow, and the cheese on top should be lightly crisped.
Step Six: Serve
Let the pizza bread cool for a few minutes, then invert it onto a serving platter. Serve warm with pizza sauce or marinara for dipping.
More Cheesy Pizza Creations
Pizza Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pizza dough
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- favorite toppings for pizza (pepperoni, peppers, onions, sausage, etc), up to 1 cup
- pizza sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Combine olive oil and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil mixture, to grease a bundt pan or 9x13 baking dish and the inside of a large mixing bowl. Reserve the rest to use later.
- Lightly flour a cutting board or working surface. Roll the prepared pizza dough out into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes.
- Add the dough cubes, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, a small pinch of salt, and up to 1 cup of pizza toppings of your choice to the greased bowl. Toss gently to evenly distribute ingredients.
- Spread the dough mixture evenly in the bundt pan or baking dish. Brush the remaining olive oil evenly over the top of the dough.
- Cover the bundt pan with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats. At this time, preheat the oven to 350℉.
- After resting, remove the towel and bake for 30-35 minutes if using a bundt pan or 15-20 minutes if using a baking dish, or until the bread is cooked through and golden brown. Be sure to check on the pizza bread halfway through cooking. If you notice the top is browning too quickly, tent the pan with foil and continue baking.
- Once baked, remove the pizza bread from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan. If baked in a bundt pan, use a butter knife to gently loosen the bread from the sides of the pan and then invert the bread onto a serving platter. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2016 but has been updated with new pictures and tips in 2025.
Can I freeze my pizza cubes ahead of time ?
Hi Donna! I would suggest freezing the seasoned dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store in freezer up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, place the frozen cubes in a greased bundt pan and let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the fridge, let rise for 1 hour and then bake as directed.
This pull apart bread was the hit of our super bowl party...there was nothing left!
I love hearing this Linda! Thank you for taking the time to share!
My grandkids were visiting today and I made this pull-apart pizza bread for lunch. It was an instant hit. We served it with ranch dressing and I plan to make it again for our game day party on Sunday. Great appetizer!
I am thrilled to hear you and your grandkids enjoyed so much! It is on our menu for the Super Bowl as well.
I’m not sure if I did something wrong but the recipe came out a mess. The top and sides were burned and very stuck to the sides while the center didn’t fully cook. I followed the steps to the T so I’m not sure what went wrong.
Hey there Jackie. That is very odd and not an issue I have heard before. Can you tell me what dough you used and confirm the type of pan? I want to help you get it right 🙂
Mine was raw in the center after 35 minutes and cooked on the edges. I used homemade dough.
Hi Meaghan! At that point, it is best to tent with foil and continue to bake until the center is cooked through.
Hi there!
Can I prepare this ahead of time, refrigerate, and then bake when ready to serve?
Hi Clarissa. You can prepare up to 24 hours in advance. However, let it come to room temperature for an hour before baking. Enjoy!