Monkey Bread with Frozen Bread Dough
Kick off the back-to-school season with a fun and flavorful monkey bread with frozen bread dough! This pizza monkey bread is the perfect crowd-pleaser.
Servings: 8
Calories: 459kcal
Equipment
- 2-pound loaf pan 9-inch square baking dish, or 10-inch cast iron skillet
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 25 ounces Bridgford Parkerhouse style rolls thawed but still cold
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (4 Tbsp = 2 oz = 1/2 stick)
- 1 ½ cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- ½ small carrot peeled and finely chopped, divided (optional)
- ¼ bell pepper cleaned and finely chopped, divided (optional)
- 24 slices Bridgford pepperoni cut into fourths (optional)
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or other dried seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Follow package instructions for thawing frozen rolls; keep them chilled in the fridge until ready.
- Prepare loaf pan (or other baking pan) by greasing with butter or non-stick cooking spray, then set it aside.
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut each of the dough rolls into 2 equal sized pieces. Lightly dip each dough ball into the melted butter, and arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. * This should use about 1/3 of the dough.
- Add half of the cut pepperoni on top of the dough balls. Sprinkle half of the carrots and bell pepper over the top, followed by 1/2 cup of sauce, and a pinch of seasoning.
- For the second layer, dip about half of the remaining dough balls in melted butter and arrange them in a single layer over the other ingredients in the pan. Place half of the cheese cubes on top of the dough balls, then sprinkle the remaining carrots and bell pepper over the top, followed by 1/2 cup of sauce.
- For the top layer, repeat the process with the dough. Place remaining cheese between the balls, along with the remaining pepperoni slices, then pour the last 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over the dough.
- Sprinkle the remaining dried seasonings evenly over the top of the unbaked monkey bread loaf, then cover the pan loosely with a kitchen towel or sheet of plastic wrap. **Note: If you'd like to make the pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours. When you're ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.Otherwise, place the pan in a warm, dry location for 30 minutes, to let the monkey bread rise.
- When dough is risen (or if making ahead, has come to room temperature), remove the plastic wrap or towel and cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil.Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Place the pan of pull apart rolls in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then quickly but carefully open the oven door and remove the foil from the pan. Close the oven door and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the top of the loaf is golden brown.
Notes
- If you’d like to make the pull-apart pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours.
- When you’re ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.
- Adjust the veggies how you like them: The vegetables add a delicious element of flavor and texture to these pull-aparts. You can add extra veggies if your family likes them, blend them into the sauce, or even remove them altogether. It’s up to you and your preferences. Try olives, minced garlic, artichoke hearts, basil, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes.
- Choose your protein or make it vegetarian: Pepperoni is a classic option for pizza, but you can use whichever type of protein you like best. Possible options are pre-cooked chicken breast, sausage, salami, or even prosciutto.
- Consider using a different type of sauce: While a red sauce is delicious and goes great with this dish, you can swap it out for another kind. If your family loves barbecue sauce, white sauce, or garlic olive oil, go ahead and use it!
- Store leftover pizza monkey bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- To reheat, warm it up in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed all the way through. To crisp the edges, heat it in an oven or air fryer.
- To make the pull-apart pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the assembled pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours.
- When you're ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.
- This is also an excellent dish for freezing. You can make it ahead of time and freeze before baking, or you can freeze leftovers.
- If you freeze ahead of time, allow the pizza pull-apart monkey bread to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake it as you normally would.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 1193mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1323IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg
