Cheesy and savory Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread is the perfect addition to a wintery meal! Pizza dough is transformed with the addition of smoky gouda and slightly sweet caramelized onions to make this irresistible treat which is so cozy by the fire! Read below to see how I make it!
Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread
This January, I’m building a really delicious Aprés Ski at Home Menu here on the blog. And this Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread is the perfect appetizer for the event!
Aprés Ski at Home is all about the best part of a ski trip in my opinion–the ski lodge! It’s about cozy vibes by the fire and curling up with a great book. The sweaters are warm and the food is comforting and satisfying and oh so delicious. These are dishes that are perfect for winter hosting or dinner for one on a snowy evening.
My Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread completely fits the bill! This is like cheesy garlic bread on steroids. The smoked gouda gives it that melty smoky vibe that is truly delicious. And I love the slightly sweet caramelized onions that run throughout this. I could basically eat the whole pan of caramelized onions alone.
Using pizza dough is the trick here to making this easy and hands-off. I like to save time and buy the pizza dough, but you can of course make your own. The pizza dough gives this a unique flavor that marries really well with the cheese and onions.
I make this in a bundt pan because it’s so gorgeous that way. I have a secret soft spot for a bundt pan–it’s so charming! And the end product here is truly stunning–the bundt shape of the bread, but you can see both the cheese and onions dancing throughout. Double dare you not to just sit and eat the whole ring for dinner.
This Pull Apart Bread couldn’t be easier to make. It’s a little time consuming, only because of the 15-20 minutes it takes to caramelize onions. But that time is mostly hands-off, so it’s still easy peasy. And the bread is so stunning, it will look like it took a ton more time and effort than it did!
Let me tell you about how I make it.
How I Make My Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread
Making this pull apart bread is just plain fun!
I start by caramelizing the onions. Add in sliced onions, salt, and a little sugar to a pan with melted butter. The sugar helps the onions to caramelize, but don’t worry–it won’t make them sweet. Let the onions cook about 15 minutes, until they are browning. This is pretty hands-off; you can stir them every few minutes, but let the pan and the low heat do its thing.
Set the onions aside in a medium bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, add the pizza dough using a kitchen shears to cut the dough into one inch slices. Add in melted butter, minced garlic, and thyme and stir.
In the bowl with the caramelized onions, now that they’re cooled, add the cheeses and parsley. This is going to seem like an insane amount of cheese. You are not wrong. But, it’ll be worth it, I promise!
Now, the fun part–assembling the bread! Grease the bundt pan, so nothing sticks. Working in batches, add the pizza dough balls and the cheese. You may need to re-cut the pizza dough into balls as you add–it’s not a problem. The idea here is for the pizza dough to be surrounded by cheese as you build it. You will want to make sure the pan is filled evenly so that your bread isn’t lopsided.
That’s it! Place it in the oven at 350º for 25-30 minutes. When it’s done, the pizza dough part will be browning. I made the mistake of finalizing the layers at the bottom with cheese, so it was a little tough to see if it was actually done. But either way, 28 minutes worked perfectly.
Now, I had an internal debate about whether to turn this out from the bundt pan immediately or let it set a minute. Typically, I let something baked in the bundt pan set so that it keeps its shape when it turns out. But I was worried if I let it cool here, the cheese might stick to the pan and make it challenging. So I turned it out immediately, and it worked perfectly!! So I recommend you do the same.
Serve this immediately for max cheesiness! I think it’s a really special side for something more classic, like spaghetti and meatballs or an entree salad. Or add it to the spread at your next Super Bowl party! However you serve it, it’s going to absolutely disappear! I can’t wait for you to try this one.
Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Start by caramelizing the onions. Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add onions, salt, and sugar. Cook until the onions are browning and caramelizing, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the pan and turn off the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a bundt pan.
- Cut the pizza dough into 1 inch pieces. Toss the pieces with 3 Tbsp melted butter, garlic, and thyme.
- In a separate bowl, mix the gouda, mozzarella, parsley, and add in the caramelized onions.
- Working in layers, add the pizza dough bites and the cheese mixture into the bundt pan. This doesn’t have to be layered like lasagnau002du002dmore that every bite of pizza dough should be touching some of the cheese. Fill up the bundt pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Invert onto a board and serve immediately. Enjoy!
