Appetizer Recipes

Cheesy Bread

Oh, cheesy bread. You bring the sweet smell of comfort baking, the smell of food that always, no matter what, makes us feel better. You’re blanketed in melty mozzarella, Fontina, and Parm, and you come out of the oven pillowy-soft on the inside with awesomely crispy edges.

Are you super easy to make, infinitely flexible (add pepperoni, babies!), and perfect for sharing? Could we bake off three or four cheesy breads and invite the crew over for game day? Yes, you are and yes, we could. But honestly? We kind of want to make one, perfect cheesy bread, pour ourselves a little bowl of ranch and a glass of wine, turn on the TV … and eat the whole thing all by ourselves.

Cheesy Bread
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Appetizer

Cheesy Bread

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the dough:

¾ cup warm water, divided
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 ⅛ tsp active dry yeast
1 ½ Tbsp Gelson’s 100% California extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white vinegar
2 cups Gelson’s organic all-purpose flour, scooped with a spoon and leveled

For the topping:

2 Tbsp salted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese

For serving (optional):

½ cup marinara sauce
½ cup ranch dressing

Directions

  1. ​​In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine ½ cup of the warm water with the sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and let rest for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the remaining ¼ cup warm water and the olive oil, salt, and vinegar.

  3. With the mixer on medium-low, gradually add the flour in spoonfuls. Knead for a few minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly sticky but not so sticky that it clings to a clean fingertip.

  4. Cover the bowl with a dry towel, set in a warm place, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

  5. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 475º.

  6. Gently punch the dough down. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a ⅓”-thick rectangle. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper.

  7. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the butter and garlic, stirring until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant.

  8. Spread the garlic-butter evenly over the dough, working from edge to edge. Top with the Parmesan, mozzarella, and Fontina cheeses.

  9. Using a pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan, transfer the dough with the parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

  10. Slice the flatbread in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1 ½”-wide pieces. Serve with dipping sauces, like marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

Recipe adapted from: Taste Better From Scratch

Calculate nutrition information for this recipe.