We could ALL use some comforting carbs on this Monday morning. Don’t ya think?
It has been a stressful past week, and I am here for the comfort food. Big time. I was so paralyzed by the news and the election coverage that I barely accomplished anything last week. I don’t think I even posted on Instagram in over a week.
I, like everyone else, was a big ball of stress and uncertainty.
The perfect thing to save the day: this everything bagel pull-apart bread!
Not only is stress baking so key for me at times like this (it is so soothing), but it also is timed perfectly for the impending holiday season. I am on a real kick with the pull-apart bread recipes lately. I have more ideas in store for future breads, and I have to say, I’m not mad about it.
The satisfaction of pulling apart pillowy, tender layers of yeasted dough filled with scallion cream cheese and mozzarella is crazy. The savory flavors throughout all the layers – the dough, the filling, and the topping – make this bread sing!
I LOVE an everything bagel slathered with cream cheese. It’s one of my favorite breakfast treats, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel differently. I wanted to transform those flavors into something more festive and fun that could feed a crowd. Especially with the holiday season fast approaching! It would be the perfect thing to serve on Thanksgiving morning (or the day after) or even on Christmas day for breakfast or brunch.
While the festivities and gatherings are likely to be smaller this year, I still want to provide you with lots of fun entertaining ideas.
And I know I wouldn’t be mad if someone brought this to the table, holiday or not.
The dough itself is flavored with everything bagel seasoning, rolled out, and then slathered with the scallion cream cheese mixture and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese – just to amp up the gooey factor. Not only is the dough soft and easy to work with, but the whole process, as complicated as it might seem, is really easy.
Once the dough is rolled out and filled, we cut it into long strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and then slice them crosswise into squares. Layer the squares into a baking pan, accordion style, allow the bread to rise some more, and then top it off with more everything seasoning and bake it off.
I promise you, it’s not hard!
And the resulting bread is so, so worth the effort. It’s insanely delicious and filled with all those comforting breakfast flavors of toasted bagels with cream cheese.
Dan and I enjoyed this bread for breakfast over the course of the week, even adding some cheesy scrambled eggs to it a few times. Let me tell ya: that is a genius move. It tastes like an egg and cheese bagel breakfast sandwich!
And I call that a huge win.
All that’s missing is a mimosa! Or three. We’ve all earned it.
Everything Bagel Scallion Cream Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This Everything Bagel Scallion Cream Cheese Pull-Apart Bread is as fun to eat as it is delicious! Pillowy, tender yeasted dough is filled with scallion cream cheese, mozzarella, and topped with everything bagel seasoning. The result is breakfast heaven! All the flavors of a toasted bagel with cream cheese in a fun, re-vamped package.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- â…“ cup 2% or whole milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
For the Filling:
- 1 (8-oz) block cream cheese, softened
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
For Assembly:
- Additional flour, for rolling out dough
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, for brushing on top
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Place the butter, milk, and water in a large microwave-safe measuring cup (alternatively, you can do this in a saucepan on the stove).
- Heat for 30 seconds, stir well, and then heat again for another 15 seconds or until the butter is completely melted.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk in the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, everything bagel seasoning, and salt in a bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low with the dough hook until the dough starts to come together.
- Add in the eggs and keep mixing until a smooth and sticky dough forms. If it is very sticky, add in a few tablespoons of flour at a time until it comes together. The dough should be somewhat sticky but smooth and soft.
- Oil a large bowl and place the dough ball inside. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm place (I use my turned off oven for this), allowing the dough to sit for an hour or until it is doubled in size.
For the Filling:
- While the dough is rising, make the filling by mixing together the cream cheese, scallions, and everything bagel seasoning.
- Set aside until the dough is ready to be rolled out.
To Assemble:
- Liberally butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
- Punch down the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 12 x 20 inches (it does not need to be perfect – this is a forgiving recipe!).
- Spread the cream cheese filling all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the cream cheese.
- Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough lengthwise into 5 even strips.
- Stack the 5 strips on top of one another, pressing any filling that falls out back into the layers.
- Cut the stack of strips into 6 sets of squares.
- Gently stack the dough squares into the pan so that they are standing upright, like an accordion.
- Cover the pan with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.Â
- Remove the towel from the bread and brush with the melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning all over the top of the bread.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, checking after 35 minutes. The top should be golden brown and set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then carefully invert the pan to remove the bread.
- Place the bread on a serving platter or cutting board and serve immediately while warm.
Notes
I use store-bought everything bagel seasoning – you can get it everywhere now – but you can certainly make your own!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (mostly inactive time)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: breads
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
love this at the risk of eating the whole thing, a great idea for a pull apart bread, thank you!
It IS dangerous! But totally worth it 🙂
Yummy, sounds good and now on my list for “to bake” tomorrow! You might want to check Step #6 under “assembly” and remove the wording about apple filling. I know why it’s there but doesn’t apply to this recipe.
Thank you for pointing this out! Fixed it 🙂
You said you ate it throughout the week – how did you store it?
In the fridge! We wrapped it well in plastic wrap and then warmed it up in the toaster or oven.
Amazing! We made this for a brunch last weekend and it was a huge hit. It was also easier than I was expecting – you just have to leave yourself time to let things rise. But the actual assembly was easy and the results were incredible. Making for every event going forward!
I made this tonight and it came out very good! I love all the crunchy bits and the onion-y flavor throughout. Will definitely make again. P.S. In the directions you don’t say when to add the mozzarella but I followed your pictures and just pressed it into the cream cheese layer. 🙂
Oh thanks for that! I just fixed the recipe to include the mozzarella step. 🙂