Soft dough balls filled with garlic butter and mozzarella, then topped with more garlic butter before being baked into a golden Christmas Tree.
The inspiration for this Mozzarella and Garlic Butter Dough Ball Christmas Tree comes from my time spent living in London. Mikey and I used to love ordering the dough balls from Pizza Express! I wanted to create something similar this festive season, but with more of a Christmassy feel to it.
If this feels like more than you can commit to right now (don't worry, I get it!), then why not try my Epic Garlic Bread instead?
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Ingredient notes:
- Flour: This recipe calls for plain flour. The rising agent is the yeast.
- Yeast: Always check the expiry date on your yeast! If your yeast is old, the dough won't rise which would be very disappointing.
- Garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic as opposed to jarred, crushed garlic in this recipe. Jarred garlic is great for cooking, but fresh tastes best in garlic bread.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm water and sugar then mix until dissolved. Stir in the yeast and cover with a tea towel. Leave for 10 minutes until frothy. Add flour, olive oil and salt. Using a dough hook on low speed, mix for 5 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky. (Alternatively, knead by hand.) Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Garlic butter: Mix butter, garlic and parsley together, season with salt then refrigerate to chill.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper. Divide the dough into 15 balls. Flatten each ball, place a ½ tsp of garlic butter and a cube of mozzarella in the centre and seal tightly around it.
Arrange the filled balls on the tray in the shape of a tree. Add a small piece of dough at the base as the trunk. Melt some of the garlic butter and brush over the dough.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Brush with extra garlic butter before serving.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes of course. Skip the mozzarella and go for classic garlic butter centres.
You could make the dough and garlic butter the night before you wanted to serve the tree. Simply construct the balls, arrange them and bake just before serving.
Storage:
This pull-apart bread is best eaten immediately on the day it is made.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the pantry for up to two days.
Top tips:
This can be made at any time of the year! Simply place the dough balls in a lined baking tray.
Related Recipes:
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Garlic Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
Homemade dough-balls filled with garlic butter and mozzarella, shaped into a Christmas tree then baked in the oven until golden.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Filling
- 75g butter, softened
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- Handful of Italian parsley, chopped
- 100g mozzarella, cubed
Instructions
- Dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm water and sugar then mix until dissolved. Stir in the yeast and cover with a tea towel. Leave for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Add flour, olive oil and salt. Using a dough hook on low speed, mix for 5 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky. (Alternatively, knead by hand.)
- Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Garlic butter: Mix butter, garlic and parsley together, season with salt then refrigerate to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper.
- Divide the dough into 15 balls. Flatten each ball, place a ½ tsp of garlic butter and a cube of mozzarella in the centre and seal tightly around it.
- Arrange the filled balls on the tray in the shape of a tree. Add a small piece of dough at the base as the trunk.
- Melt some of the garlic butter and brush over the dough.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Brush with extra garlic butter before serving.
Notes
- Best enjoyed warm on the day it’s made.
- Roll smaller dough balls if you'd like extras.
- Double the recipe to feed a crowd.
- Skip the mozzarella for classic garlic butter centres.
- The dough and garlic butter can be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 242Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Sophie says
Should it be so sticky that it can’t be done by hand?
VJ cooks says
No, it shouldn't be that sticky. I would a little more flour util it comes together.
Sally says
Can I stuff the dough balls with the cheese but then keep them in fridge and cook the nest day
VJ cooks says
Yes I think that would work. I would remove them from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
Adele McCollom says
Love your ideas!!
VJ cooks says
Thanks Adele! 🙂
Samantha Illingworth says
Hi could this recipe be made gluten free ,would it turn out the same .
VJ cooks says
Ooooh it would be a real risk! If you have a full-proof gluten free bread recipe up your sleeve you could use that to make the dough balls. But to avoid disappointment I wouldn't be substituting regular flour for gluten free flour.
Lynn says
Can I make the dough in a bread maker as tried by hand and it failed
VJ cooks says
Sorry to hear that! Yes go for it.
Sheryle says
We are travelling 3 hrs on Xmas day and the oven will probs be busy once there. Would it be ok, to cook at home and re-heat once we get there?
VJ cooks says
Absolutely!