Pizza Wheel with Garlic-Herb Butter

Perfectly chewy bread dough, baked until golden brown and stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese. That would have been delicious enough, but I didn't stop there. I brushed an insanely awesome garlic-butter over top before baking. The whole thing is pure joy.
Think of this party wheel as pull-apart bread - but WAY better. I think you'll soon realize what I mean. With regular pull-apart bread, you cut the loaf into little squares before stuffing cheese and other goodies inside. But in the end, much of the bottom crust is left behind (and it often hardens up by the time the top is devoured). With this version. you can pull big, gooey slices with ease. And those slices are perfect for dunking in the warm sauce.

Tip for thawing the frozen dough: Thaw the dough all day or overnight in the refrigerator. You want it soft but cold, so it doesn't rise before you place it in the Bundt pan.

Pizza Wheel with Garlic-Herb Butter

Cooking spray
1 loaf frozen bread or pizza dough (1 pound), thawed but still cold
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 slices
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce of choice

Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
Roll the dough out into a 16-inch rope. Pull the ends together to form a circle and pinch the ends together. Transfer the wheel to the prepared Bundt pan, cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes (make sure the pan is sitting in a warm place, free from draft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the bread for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Keep the oven at 350 degrees.
When cool enough to handle, remove the bread from the pan and cut 16 slices crosswise into the wheel - almost through to the bottom, but not completely through.
Transfer the wheel to a shallow baking dish or pie pan. Insert the cheese slices into the slices in the wheel.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Whisk in the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the butter mixture all over the bread and cheese.
Pour the pizza sauce into a small, oven-safe bowl or ramekin and place the bowl in the center of the wheel.
Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the sauce is warm. Eat with your hands!
Serves 4


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