Pizza Bread has all the flavors of pizza in a fun, pull-apart savory monkey bread. It is a simple appetizer that can be pulled together easily using either homemade or store-bought pizza dough to create a delicious, cheesy spin on pizza that everyone loves.
What is Pizza Bread?
This recipe for Pizza Bread is a savory spin on Monkey Bread made with pizza dough, pizza toppings, and served with a side of pizza sauce.
It bakes up into a pull-apart bread that features crispy edges and a soft, pillowy interior that is perfectly seasoned and oozing with cheese. Most importantly, pizza bread is downright delicious!
In fact, this Pizza Bread recipe is a favorite from my childhood that now my own children can't get enough of. And I am willing to bet this cheesy, gooey, pizza seasoned bread is bound to become a favorite at your house as well. Who doesn't love pizza?
Best Ingredients to Use
- Pizza Dough: Most recipes for Pizza Monkey Bread start with canned biscuits. However, if you want the BEST Pizza Bread, you need to ditch the biscuits and use pizza dough. The pizza dough will bake up so much softer and there is no canned biscuit taste, letting the flavors of pizza really shine through. I use 2 pounds of homemade pizza dough for this recipe, but feel free to use refrigerated premade pizza dough and this recipe will come together with hardly any effort.
- Cheese: For a super cheesy result, use both shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese for the recipe.
- Seasonings: To add pizza flavor to the pizza bread I add a combination of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garlic Oil: To impart additional flavor to the pizza, I brush the pan with garlic infused olive oil instead of simply using cooking spray. It is as easy as mixing olive oil with garlic powder and is a simple step that imparts a lot of flavor to the final result.
- Toppings: I often keep pizza bread simple and opt to omit additional toppings, however, feel free to add any of your favorite pizza toppings to the pizza dough mixture before baking. Pepperoni, cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, olives, and/or mushrooms are all great options.
How to Make Pizza Bread
Step One: Prepare Garlic Oil
- Mix together the olive oil and garlic powder together in a small bowl.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of a large mixing bowl with the oil and set aside.
- Use the infused olive oil to grease a bundt pan or a 9x13 baking dish as well.
Step Two: Prepare Dough
- Roll or pat the prepared pizza dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangular shape.
- Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes.
- Transfer the pizza dough cubes into oiled mixing bowl.
Step Three: Add Toppings
- Add the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder to the pizza dough cubes.
- Sprinkle with cheese and any other additional topping, like pepperoni, mushrooms, or sausage.
- Lightly toss everything together until the toppings are evenly distributed throughout the pizza dough.
Step Four: Form the Pizza Bread
- Evenly spread out the prepared dough in the greased baking dish.
At this point, it looks like a giant loaf of messy dough but once this pizza bread is baked, it will have nuggets of cheese and seasonings in every bite. Some of the cheese will get browned and crispy and some will stay creamy and gooey--it will have a little bit of everything!
Step Five: Bake
- Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and the let the dough rest as the oven preheats.
- Once preheated, remove the towel and bake the pizza bread until browned and the center of the dough is completely cooked through.
Step Six: Serve
- After allowing the pizza bread to cool slightly in the baking dish, invert the bundt pan on a serving platter and remove the pan.
- Serve with a side of pizza sauce or marinara, as an appetizer or pair with a salad for a kid-friendly meal.
More Cheesy Pizza Creations
- Pizza Meatloaf: This is NOT your average meatloaf. Instead, it is stuffed with cheese and flavored with pizza seasonings.
- Spinach Pizza: A white pizza made with gooey cheese and a layer of spinach. This is a great way to enjoy your greens.
- Pizza Rolls: Made with puff pastry, these bite-sized pizza rolls are buttery, cheesy, and perfect for parties.
- English Muffin Pizzas: This simple snack comes together in minutes and is always a hit with the kids!
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza: You know those frozen french bread pizzas? You can make them at home in minutes that taste a million times better using this recipe.
This Pizza Bread is the BEST way to enjoy savory monkey bread. If you give it a try, I would love for you to leave a comment below!
Pizza Bread
Pizza Bread has all the flavors of pizza in a fun, pull-apart savory monkey bread. It is a simple recipe that can be pulled together easily with homemade or store-bought pizza dough.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 424kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pizza dough
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder divided
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- favorite toppings for pizza (pepperoni, peppers, onions, sausage, etc) up to 1 cup
- 2 cups Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Combine olive oil and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Brush a bundt pan or 9x13 baking dish and the inside of a large mixing bowl with the olive oil mixture, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the oil for later.
- Lightly flour a cutting board or working surface. Roll the prepared pizza dough out into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes.
- Add the dough cubes, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, a small pinch of salt, and up to 1 cup of pizza toppings of your choice to the greased bowl. Toss gently to evenly distribute ingredients.
- Spread the dough mixture evenly in the bundt pan or baking dish. Brush the remaining olive oil evenly over the top of the dough.
- Cover the bundt pan with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats. At this time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes if using a bundt pan or 15-20 minutes if using a baking dish, or until the bread is cooked through and golden brown. Be sure to check on the pizza bread halfway through cooking. If you notice the top is browning too quickly, tent the pan with foil and continue baking.
- Once baked, remove the pizza bread from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan. If baked in a bundt pan, use a butter knife to gently loosen the bread from the sides of the pan and then invert the bread onto a serving platter. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara sauce.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Cutting the Recipe In Half: If you want to cut this recipe in half, use only 1 pound of pizza dough and bake in a 9x9 greased pan for 15-20 minutes.
Canned Pizza Dough: If using canned pizza dough, use 2 (13.9 ounces) cans and proceed with the recipe as stated.
Additional Add-Ins: Feel free to add any pizza toppings you like as desired, but it is best to limit toppings that are high in moisture (like peppers, mushrooms, and spinach) to no more than ½ cup so that the dough does not become soggy.
Storage/Reheating: Leftover Pizza Bread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat by placing the bread onto a heat-safe plate, cover with a dampened paper towel, and reheat in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1367mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 487IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 4mg
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This post was originally published in 2016 but has been updated with new pictures and tips in 2020.
Gina
This recipe was a hit! It was easy to make and so delicious! Will definitely be making again!
Allison
We loved this! I think my kids would choose this over regular pizza now. Thanks for sharing!
Natalie
Can you use fresh garlic for olive oil mixture?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! I would recommend grating it with a Microplane or mincing really well so it won't burn. Enjoy!
Natalie
Super, thanks! Appreciate the quick reply. Can’t wait to make. Going to try with sun dried tomatoes 😋.
Kristen Chidsey
Delish! Enjoy Natalie!
Nicole
This recipe is fabulous. Thank you!
Gayle Grunwald
I just wonder if you could make a round loaf of bread and then use as a bread bowl for pizza dip, maybe a cheesy dip, etc.,
Kristen Chidsey
That sounds delicious! It would take some experimenting with timing, temp, etc, but if you create this masterpiece, I would love for you to share your results.
Sheila
This looks yummy! Should you cook sausage before baking? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sheila! I would definitely recommend using precooked sausage. Enjoy!!
Melissa
When I saw your recipe I knew I needed to make it. With the kids all being home I made it for lunch and they gobbled it up!
Kristen Chidsey
What a fun lunch Melissa! So glad you all enjoyed!
Stephanie
Such a great pizza bread recipe! I loved the garlic/parmesan combo!
Kristen Chidsey
That topping really adds a great touch Stephanie 🙂 Glad you enjoyed.
Shani
Once again- a recipe we all loved! But I was wondering... I made a single batch of your bread dough recipe but it didn’t fill up the bunt pan. Is 2 pounds of dough a doubled batch of your pizza dough recipe? The individual chunks of pulled out cooked dough was the right size. It was just less then I anticipated.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shani! So glad you enjoyed. If you were using bread dough and not pizza dough, you would need to cut fill the pan and then let it double--or bread dough will never rise correctly. That would have been the issue (2 pounds is perfect)
Rosalyn Nicpon
I'd love to try this recipe as it looks AND sounds delicious! But please clarify: pizza dough or bread dough? In your words before hand it highlights, do NOT use pizza dough, yet the recipe says pizza dough. What am I looking for in the store? Please clarify and give me explicit directions on what bread to buy, and where to find it in the grocery store. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rosalyn! I am so sorry for the confusion. This recipe uses pizza dough--bread dough would require a 2nd rise and make this recipe a bit more time consuming. I have tried in the pasta and it is delicious, but the pizza dough version is easier. I clarified in the post so I hope that helps and that you enjoy it!!
Lori
It’s just the 2 of us and as much as I’d love to just eat bread, my hips and blood sugar think otherwise:-). Besides just dipping this in sauce, is there anything else you can use it for? Or serve with?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lori! You can freeze the leftovers as well to enjoy another time for portion control. Just wrap well in foil or plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe bag. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator and reheat as desired. As for serving, you can serve it as a sandwich with a side salad, serve as you would garlic bread, dip in ranch or olive oil. I hope that helps give you ideas.