# Cheesy, Garlicky Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread

This is a festive and savory pull-apart bread shaped like a Christmas tree, filled with cheesy goodness and topped with a garlicky herb butter.

- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Baked Goods
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 LB/500g/16oz pizza dough
- Flour
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g/5.2 Oz garlic herb cheese spread
- 150 g/1.5 cups/5.2 oz grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 58 g/ 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 40 g/ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs of choice (flat leaf parsley)
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 red bell pepper
- 0.75 yellow bell pepper

## Instructions

1. Welcome to day 4 of the 12 days of bread mist, where we are making a cheesy, garlicky, pulled-apart dough ball Christmas tree.
2. On a floured work surface, stretch your pizza dough out to a rectangle shape (8.5 x 11.5 inches).
3. Cut the pizza dough into 30 equal pieces (18g each).
4. Mix together the garlic herb cheese with some mozzarella cheese.
5. Roll the cheese mixture into 30 cheese balls (roughly 10g each).
6. Flatten a piece of dough to accommodate the size of the cheese ball, close the dough around the cheese, and pinch to seal.
7. Repeat to assemble all the dough balls, and then arrange them on a tray lined with parchment paper in a Christmas tree shape (7-6-5-4-3-2-1 formation for the tree and remaining for the trunk).
8. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it to rest for about half an hour while the oven preheats to 220C/430F.
9. Use an apple corer or cut by hand to create pepper ornaments from red and yellow bell peppers.
10. Brush the dough balls lightly with an egg wash (1 small egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water).
11. Scatter a bit more mozzarella cheese over the dough balls.
12. Place the pepper ornaments on top of the dough balls.
13. Bake on the lowest rack for 22-30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
14. While the bread is baking, mix together cool melted butter, finely chopped herbs (like flat leaf parsley), minced garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese to create a cheesy garlic butter.
15. Once the Christmas tree bread is out of the oven, place the star-shaped yellow pepper on top.
16. Spoon the cheesy garlic butter over the tree, making sure to spread it over every dough ball using a pastry brush.
17. Serve immediately with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

## Equipment

- dough scraper
- pizza wheel
- large baking tray
- nonstick parchment
- clean tea towel
- apple corer
- pastry brush
- small bowl

## Tips

- For a different presentation, you could shape the dough in a wreath formation.
- If you're preparing ahead, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap or reusable wrap before refrigerating to prevent it from drying out.
- Use a cookie cutter or cut by hand to make different shapes for the pepper ornaments.
- Ensure the melted butter is cool when mixing with cheese and herbs to prevent the cheese from melting prematurely.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/@_lacebakes_/video/7447844179759189281
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/385f1188-e338-4b21-ba40-101d8c241e5e
- Extracted: 2025-09-02

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt