Vegan Cheesy, Garlicky Pull Apart Pizza Bread
This gooey, bubbly and vegan Cheesy, Garlicky Pull Apart Pizza Bread will make you a star. Serve as a snack at your Super Bowl party, or for a fun family dinner!
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories: 364kcal
Ingredients
For the pizza bread rolls:
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm filtered water
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the marinara sauce:
- 1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes (plum tomatoes are fine)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4-5 small sprigs oregano (or sub with 2 teaspoon dry)
- Salt to taste
For the cheesy sauce:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For brushing on:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic, crushed)
For assembling:
- 8 oz vegan mozzarella shreds
- 2 vegan Italian sausages, thinly sliced (optional. If using, roast the slices in a 450 degree oven for 5-10 minutes to make them a little rubbery, like pepperoni. You can also just use vegan pepperoni slices.)
Instructions
Make the pizza bread dough:
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, water and sugar and let stand five minutes until the yeast is activated.
- Add 1 cup of the whole wheat flour and 2 cups of bread flour, baking soda and salt and knead until a firm but pliable dough forms, adding more flour as needed. I baked this on a pretty dry day so I needed only 3 cups. Add the oil and continue to knead until the oil is incorporated.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and set aside to rise for an hour or until doubled.
Make the marinara:
- Place the tomatoes in a bowl and squish with your fingers to break.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan. Add the garlic and when it begins to turn color add the crushed tomatoes with 1 cup water.
- Add the sprigs of oregano or the dry oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn to medium low and continue cooking the sauce for 15 minutes or until thick and bright red. Turn off the heat and reserve.
Make the cheesy sauce:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz into a very smooth and thick sauce.
Assemble the cheesy, garlicky pull apart pizza bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a 12 X 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread two cups of marinara sauce at the bottom and layer on the Italian sausage slices, if using.
- Spoon the cheesy sauce into the baking dish, spreading with a spoon or ladle to get it into an even layer. Sprinkle on the mozzarella shreds.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into an oval. Place in the baking dish in four rows of three each.
- Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm place for an hour or until the rolls are puffy and double their size.
- Mix all the ingredients for brushing on -- olive oil, oregano or parsley, and garlic -- and, using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the rolls with the mixture.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the rolls are all golden-brown and the cheese has melted and is bubbling up the sides.
- Let stand for about 10 minutes and then serve with remaining marinara sauce on the side.
Notes
- If you're working in a humid climate and end up using too much flour, don't use all of the dough in this recipe or you might end up with too much bread. You can freeze the remaining dough and use it to make rolls later. My bread dough required exactly three cups of flour, and it was perfect.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.2g | Protein: 13.4g | Fat: 17.6g | Sugar: 2.7g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.7mg