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Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread Wreath

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If you are looking for a stunning way to serve rolls this holiday season, then this cheddar pull-apart bread wreath is for you! Soft, fluffy bread rolls are stuffed with cheddar cheese and shaped in a wreath design before being baked to golden brown perfection. 

Ingredients

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Pull-Apart Bread Wreath

  • 3 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, Spooned and Leveled, Plus More As Needed
  • 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, Divided
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Large Egg, Whisked, Room Temperature
  • 3/4 Cup Whole Milk, Warmed to 100-110F
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
  • 10 Ounces Cabot Creamery’s Vermont Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese Deli Bars

Assembly

  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Water
  • Flaky Sea Salt, Optional
  • Fresh Rosemary, Optional
  • Fresh Pomegranate Seeds, Optional

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and yeast. Cover the bowl with a large plate and allow the yeast mixture to sit untouched for 8-10 minutes. Yeast mixture is ready to use when it appears bubbly with a fermented aroma.
  3. With the dough hook attached, add the whisked egg into the bowl with the activated yeast mixture and mix at medium speed to combine about 30-60 seconds.
  4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add all of the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture. Continue to mix on low until dough starts to come together and form into a shaggy-looking ball, about 1 minute.
  5. At this point, start to mix the softened butter into the dough a little at a time until it is thoroughly incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and knead dough for 6 minutes. Dough will be quite soft and tacky to touch.
  6. If the dough is too soft and difficult to handle, mix in additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is more manageable to handle. For soft and fluffy rolls, take care to not add too much flour. The dough should be soft and tacky to touch.
  7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Add the oil to a large mixing bowl before transferring the dough into the bowl. Use your hand to coat all sides of the dough in the oil.
  8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or with a clean kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm part of the kitchen to rest until it has doubled in size. This can take up to 60-90 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
  9. As the dough rests, prepare the cheese. Cut the bars of cheese into 1-inch cubes and then cut each cube in halve. You only need 26 pieces of cubed cheese, any extras are great for snacking! Place the cheese in a medium-sized bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
  10. Gently deflate the risen dough with a fisted hand. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes before using. This will help relax the gluten in the dough and make it easier to cut and shape into rolls.
  11. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously grease a 4-inch oven-safe bowl and place it in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Set aside. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 26 equal pieces weighing about 1 ounce.
  12. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to flatten the dough into roughly a 2 1/2 to 3-inch circle. Keep the remaining dough pieces covered with a piece of plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
  13. Place a cube of cheese into the center of the dough and bring the outer edges of the dough over the cheese. Pinch the ends of dough together to enclose the cheese and form a ball. Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough and cheese for a total of 26 rolls.
  14. Individually place the first round of rolls (10 total) around the greased bowl followed by the second round of rolls (16) to form bread wreath shape (See photos in the blog post for reference).
  15. Preheat the oven to 350F(175C). Loosely cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set them aside in a warm area of the kitchen to rest for 20-25 minutes.
  16. In a small mixing bowl or dish, whisk together the egg and water to make the egg wash. With a pastry brush, generously brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt (optional).
  17. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through bake time for even baking. The bread wreath is ready when it appears richly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the rolls comes out clean.
  18. Cool the rolls to room temperature (or warm to touch) before removing the center dish and decorating with fresh rosemary and pomegranate seeds (optional).

Notes

  • Pull-apart bread wreath is best eaten the day it is baked. However, leftover bread stored in an airtight container will last 1-2 days in the fridge and 1-2 months in the freezer. To thaw frozen bread, place in the fridge overnight or leave at room temperature for 1-2 hours to restore soft texture.
  • I recommend using a large rimless baking sheet for baking the bread wreath. If you do not own one, then a regular rimmed half baking sheet measuring about 18×13 inches should work fine.
  • The cheese filling will set as the rolls cool to room temperature but will still be absolutely scrumptious. To restore warm consistency, simply heat up the rolls to your liking.

 

Find it online: https://nourishedendeavors.com/cheddar-pull-apart-bread-wreath/