Smoked Mozzarella Pizza Bread

Pull. Dip. Pull. Dip. Wipe chin. Pull. Dip. Pull. Dip. Lick fingers. That’s pretty much the routine you’ll be following when eating this cheesey treat. One big, cheesy bread blossom. A sourdough round coated with a buttery garlic sauce then stuffed with smoky mozzarella cheese, imparting a nutty, toasted bite that’s perfectly dunkable into fresh tomato-ed marinara sauce.

Yield: one loaf

Ingredients

• 1 round sourdough bread loaf
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3/4 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice a round of sourdough bread lengthwise and then crosswise to about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the round.
3. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl with oregano and garlic salt and cook for 30 seconds in the microwave.
4. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
5. Take out of microwave and drizzle in 1 tablespoon increments into each side of cuts of bread, reserving 1 tablespoon butter.
6. Combine the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan together and stuff slits of bread with cheese.
7. Drizzle top with remaining tablespoon of butter.
8. Wrap bread round in foil and bake for 30 minutes then open foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
9. Remove from oven and serve immediately with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: American Butter Institute
by Heidi