Description
These Parmesan Bread Bites are a delightful appetizer made with soft, cheesy pizza dough infused with parmesan and mozzarella cheese, brushed with garlic butter, and baked to perfection. Ready in just one hour, they are perfect for sharing at any gathering and pair wonderfully with marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (214 g) warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) honey (substitute granulated sugar if desired)
- 2 3/4 cups (338 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (39 g) fresh shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (39 g) freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
Garlic Butter
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (39 g) parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheets. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside for later use.
- Activate the yeast. In a mixing bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, and honey. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make the dough. Add the flour, sea salt, olive oil, shredded parmesan, and shredded mozzarella to the yeast mixture. Knead the dough on low speed for 8-9 minutes until it becomes soft, smooth, and elastic.
- First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven. While the dough rises, preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Shape the dough. Remove the risen dough from the bowl and place it on a clean surface. Form it into an 8×8-inch square.
- Cut strips and squares. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 8 strips, each about 1 inch wide. Separate the strips to prevent sticking. Then cut each strip into 1-inch squares. Transfer these squares to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Prepare garlic butter. In a small saucepan or microwave, melt the butter with the minced garlic until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant. Stir in half of the chopped thyme and sage.
- Brush with garlic butter. Spoon or brush the garlic butter mixture evenly over the tops of the bread bites.
- Add parmesan and herbs topping. Mix the remaining fresh thyme and sage with the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the buttered bread bites.
- Bake the bread bites. Bake in the preheated oven one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Finish with more garlic butter. As soon as the bites come out of the oven, brush them again with remaining garlic butter and sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top.
- Serve. Serve warm, ideally with marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy your delicious Parmesan Bread Bites!
Notes
- For measuring flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag to avoid using too much flour.
- You can substitute honey with granulated sugar if desired.
- Ensure your water is warm but not hot to effectively activate the yeast without killing it.
- Use fresh herbs for best flavor, but dried herbs can be substituted in smaller quantities if necessary.
- These bread bites can be made ahead and reheated in the oven before serving.
- Serve with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
