Christmas Tree Party Bread With Spinach Ricotta Filling

Christmas Tree Party Bread With Spinach Ricotta Filling
3.7 from 6 ratings
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This festive pull-apart holiday bread is easier to make than it looks, and it tastes amazing with a filling of three types of cheese, spinach and scallions! Bring this to a holiday party for the perfect savory Yuletide nibble.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
25
minutes
Servings
12
servings
Christmas Tree Party Bread With Spinach Ricotta Filling
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1 12-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed using a clean tea towel to remove any excess moisture
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
  • 3 tablespoon scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • approximately 30 ounces of ready-to-use pizza dough, divided in two
  • 1 egg, beaten
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Mix together all of the ingredients for the filling until well combined.
  3. To shape the dough, roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle roughly 12 inches by 9 inches.
  4. Place one of the rectangles onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
  5. With a pizza cutter or knife, lightly trace a simple tree shape (triangle plus stump) onto the dough.
  6. Next, spread the filling in a thin, even layer, keeping within the lines to create a tree.
  7. Cover the filling and first sheet of dough with the second rectangle, and cut away the excess dough (the unfilled outer edges).
  8. Using a ruler as a guide, make horizontal cuts every half inch of so, from the bottom to the top of the tree, being sure to leave an inch of dough uncut in the middle of the tree.
  9. Next, take each cut "branch" of dough and twist it a few times to create spirals of dough — think cheese straws that are connected to the central, uncut "trunk" of the tree.
  10. Start at the bottom and work up, finishing with a half twist at the top of the tree.
  11. Take the beaten egg and lightly brush all over the tree.
  12. Bake at 400 degrees F on a middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
  13. For more even color, you may want to turn the tray once halfway through cooking.
  14. Let cool slightly, then enjoy!
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