Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread with Mozzarella & Garlic Butter
Soft homemade dough balls stuffed with melting mozzarella and semi-dried tomatoes, baked into a festive Christmas tree shape and brushed with herby garlic butter. A showstopping tear-and-share bread for the Christmas table.
Equipment
Kenwood Cooking Chef XL or stand mixer with dough hook
digital kitchen scales
baking parchment
1 pastry brush
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
Bread dough
- 250 g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fast action dried yeast
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 150-180 ml tepid water
Filling
- 120 g mozzarella for pizza such as Galbani Mozzarella Cucina, cut into 23 small cubes
- 2 tbsp semi-dried tomatoes cut into small pieces
Herby garlic butter
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small garlic clove grated
- 1 tsp Italian dried herbs
To decorate
- rosemary sprigs a few
- Sweet Peppadrops peppers
Instructions
Make the bread dough
- Fit the Kenwood Cooking Chef XL (or your stand mixer) with the dough hook.
- Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the mixer bowl, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Add the oil and 150ml of the water. Knead on a medium-low speed for 10 minutes until a soft, smooth dough ball forms, adding the remaining water a little at a time if it feels dry.250 g strong white bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp fast action dried yeast, ½ tsp sugar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 150-180 ml tepid water
Prove the dough
- Remove the dough hook. Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. If you're using the Kenwood Cooking Chef XL, cover the bowl with the splashguard and set the induction plate to 30°C.
Divide the dough
- Knock back the dough, tip it onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently.
- Weigh the dough and divide it into 23 equal pieces, about 20g each.
Fill, shape and prove again
- Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
- Flatten one piece of dough into a small disc. Put a piece of semi-dried tomato and a cube of mozzarella in the centre.120 g mozzarella for pizza, 2 tbsp semi-dried tomatoes
- Bring the edges up over the filling and pinch them together to seal. Roll it gently into a ball with your hands and place it seam-side down on the baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Arrange the dough balls on the tray in a tree shape, about 1cm apart: a bottom row of 6, then rows of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Place the remaining 2 dough balls under the bottom row to make the trunk.
- Cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled in size, about 30–45 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas mark 7 / 425°F.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the garlic butter
- While the bread bakes, put the butter, garlic and dried herbs in a small saucepan and warm gently over a low heat until the butter has just melted.1 tbsp butter, 1 small garlic clove, 1 tsp Italian dried herbs
- Stir and leave to infuse for a few minutes.
Decorate and serve
- While the bread is still warm, brush it all over with the herby garlic butter.
- Decorate with the Peppadrops peppers as baubles and rosemary sprigs as branches. Serve warm.rosemary sprigs, Sweet Peppadrops peppers
Notes
- Mozzarella: you need to use mozzarella block made for pizza (such as Galbani Mozzarella Cucina or similar). It is less moist than regular mozzarella, so it melts better and gives a long, stringy cheese pull.
- Tomatoes: semi-dried tomatoes are juicier and softer than regular sun-dried tomatoes.
- Even tree: for an even tree, weigh the dough accurately before dividing it into 23 equal balls.
- Make ahead: shape the tree, cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature for 30–45 minutes before baking.
- Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated briefly in the microwave or in the oven (wrapped in foil).
- Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze the baked rolls for up to 3 months.
- Vegan option: use vegan mozzarella and plant-based butter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 72kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 0.2mg