Christmas tree pull-apart bread is an easy Christmas appetizer made with store-bought pizza dough, mozzarella and garlic butter, ready in about an hour. That makes it a fun holiday party idea for Christmas Eve, a potluck or game day, since every ball hides a melted cheese center.
The one thing that decides this bread is sealing the mozzarella inside the dough. Pinch every seam shut and roll each ball smooth, because a gap lets the cheese run out and glue the bread to the pan.
They have you cut 32 pieces, but the tree they describe only uses 30 of them. The top ball, six rows below and two for the topper come to thirty, so use the spare two as a trunk.
Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread
Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalStore-bought pizza dough wrapped around cubes of mozzarella, arranged on a sheet pan in a triangle, brushed with garlic butter and baked until browned. Finished with herbs, Parmesan and warm marinara.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds store-bought pizza dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
One 8-ounce block part-skim mozzarella
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped mixed fresh herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
6 to 8 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
2 cups store-bought marinara, warmed
Directions
- Divide everything: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and flour a work surface. Cut the pizza dough in half, then keep halving the pieces until you have 32 roughly even ones. Cut the block of mozzarella into 32 cubes.
- Fill and seal: Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly. Push a cube of mozzarella into a piece of dough, pinch the dough closed around it and roll it into a smooth ball. Check that no cheese is showing, then repeat with the rest.
- Build the tree: Put one ball at the top center of the sheet pan, then make rows of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 below it in a triangle. Add two balls above the top one as a topper. The two left over make a trunk at the bottom.
- Butter and bake: Melt the butter in a small pan, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then take it off the heat. Brush half of it over the dough and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Finish and serve: Brush with the rest of the garlic butter, then scatter over the parsley, mixed herbs and Parmesan. Spread the basil ribbons on top and spoon lines of warm marinara across the tree like garland. Serve right away with the rest of the sauce.
Notes
- Some cheese will burst through and crisp on the foil, which is fine. The two spare dough balls are not in the original tree, so a trunk is the simplest place for them.
FAQs
Why does the card say 45 minutes of cooking?
The method only bakes the tree for 25 to 30 minutes, plus half a minute for the garlic butter. So treat 30 as the real number and start checking at 25. Pull it when the dough is lightly browned and no longer doughy where two balls meet.
Can I use homemade pizza dough?
Yes, as long as you end up with about a pound and a half. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes first, because cold dough springs back and will not seal around the cheese. Rested dough also rolls into neat balls instead of lumpy ones.
Why part-skim mozzarella and not fresh?
A block of part-skim holds far less water than fresh mozzarella packed in liquid, which would steam the dough from the inside. If fresh is all you have, cube it and pat it very dry on paper towels. Expect more leaking either way.
Can I shape it the night before?
You can fill and shape the balls, then cover the sheet pan and chill it overnight. Bring it back to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, or the centers stay raw. For a make-ahead that needs no oven at all, there is this Christmas tree cheese ball.
What else should I put on the table?
Marinara on the side is the obvious partner, though garlic butter alone is enough for most people. Something warm and savory balances all that bread, so a tray of giant stuffed mushrooms works well next to it. Both can share the oven.
