Cheesy Italian Pull Apart Bread
 
 
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbsp pastured ghee
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 4 links (about a pound) pastured Italian pork sausage, casings removed
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese + 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large sourdough boule
  • 6 Tbsp pastured butter, melted
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, heat ghee and add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until veggies soften.
  2. Add dried oregano and Italian sausage to the pan, using a wooden spoon to break into small crumbles as it browns.
  3. When sausage has browned, add mushrooms and continue cooking until softened. Salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Fold in about ⅓ of the cheese mixture remove from heat to cool.
  5. Place the sourdough boule on a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut horizontal slits about an inch apart, all the way across the boule. These should go almost all the way down to the bottom crust.
  6. Repeat going the other direction - make vertical slits about an inch apart, all the way across the boule. You'll need to use the stabliizing hand to firmly hold the already-cut sections together.
  7. Stir the garlic powder and melted butter together, then use a pastry brush to brush it down into each horizontal and vertical slit in the bread. This will take a few minutes but it's worth it!
  8. Once the bread has been cut and buttered, use clean hands (my preference) or a spoon to distribute the cooled meat-veggie-cheese blend evenly between all the slits. This will cause the sliced bread pieces to spread or "bloom" a bit more, but be sure not to allow the pieces to break apart.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese blend over the top of the bread, pressing some gently into the slits if needed to use it all.
  10. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. (I've been trying to cut back on my use of aluminum foil in the oven but, for less browning, wrap the loaf in foil before placing in the oven).
  11. To serve, I like to use a sharp knife to retrace the rows and columns of slits, then use tongs to transfer the cheesy bread pieces to plates.
  12. Serve with marinara for dipping.
Recipe by The Nourishing Gourmet at https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/cheesy-italian-pull-apart-bread-2/