Pepperoni-Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread

 Pizza.........one of humanity's great inventions!  And pepperoni pizza.......one of my kids' favorites!  So, when I saw this recipe on Facebook awhile ago, I knew I had to give it a try!   Balls of pizza dough dipped in a flavored oil, layered with lots of mozzarella and pepperoni and served with pizza sauce for dipping......really??  Did I have a choice?  This recipe has been calling to me for a few weeks now and finally  made it onto the table, or should I say, the t.v. trays in the living room. (We enjoyed it during a recent "movie night".)  It's really delicious.........filled with salty, cheesy, garlicky goodness!  And it's fun to eat......just pull off pieces and enjoy!  No fork or knife required!

Pepperoni-Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread

    (original recipe came from Karen over at In the Kitchen with KP )

1/3 cup flavored dipping oil (store-bought or homemade....recipe I used is below)

2 tsp. garlic powder

2# pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)

7 oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Marinara or Pizza Sauce, for dipping (recipe I used is below)

Herb-Olive Oil Dip  (from Carrabba's Italian Grill)

1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. granulated garlic

1/8 tsp. crushed hot red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pizza Sauce   (adapted from the More-with-Less Cookbook)

1 small onion, chopped

2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

dash of black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

To make the flavored oil, mix all the herbs together in a small bowl.  Pour the oil in and stir to combine.

To make the pizza sauce, combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thick.  Discard the bay leaf.

O.k........now gather all of your ingredients, along with a bundt pan.  Divide the pepperoni and the cheese into two equal portions and the pizza dough into three equal portions.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Tear one portion of dough into bite-size pieces. Toss each piece around in the flavored oil and place in the bottom of the bundt pan.  Then layer one portion of pepperoni on top of the dough.

 I know it looks like an excessive amount of pepperoni in relation to the dough, but don't worry.....the dough will rise while baking and fill up the pan.

Next, layer one portion of the cheese over the pepperoni and sprinkle with half of the garlic powder.

Now, repeat the layers, ending with the last of the dough pieces. (Make sure you've tossed all the dough pieces into the oil before layering.)

The pan should now be about 2/3 full.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until nice and brown and bubbly. 

 Let it sit for a couple minutes and then carefully run a rubber spatula around the edges to make sure it's loosened from the pan.  Invert onto a serving plate and get ready for a treat!  We ate this with a simple bistro-style salad and pizza sauce on the side. AWESOME!!  

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