Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls

Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls | Olive and Cheese Pull Apart Bread | How to make Olive Pull Apart Rolls with Zaater from Scratch with video and step by step instructions

Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls | Olive and Cheese Pull Apart Bread | How to make Olive Pull Apart Rolls with Zaater from Scratch with video and step by step instructions is incredibly soft and pillowy bread with amazing Middle Eastern flavors. Just pull it apart and grab your share before it finishes. It makes a great appetizer and an after school snack for kids.

If you love the flavors of Cheese Zaatar Manakish, you will love these pull apart rolls also.

What is Pull Apart Bread

Pull Apart rolls recipe is a bread that is made by snuggling together small portions of yeasted dough into a baking tin. When baked , this bread shows up with distinct markings or indentations that allows the bread to be pulled apart.

The highlight of Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls is the flavorful olive tapenade along with Zaatar and Cheese. (What is tapenade? Read further down in the FAQ section)

Olives, olives and olives! I have used olives in a number of recipes because they are all around me. Must try out Focaccia Bread , Fattoush Salad, Veggie Pizza, Roasted Potatoes with Herbs & Feta Cheese.

Pull apart bread maybe slathered with herbed garlicky butter or marinara sauce for savory side. It may also be made sweet. Be creative with its flavor.

Pull apart bread goes by similar names as monkey bread, bubble bread, tear and share, plucking cake.

Ingredients

For Measurements refer to the RECIPE CARD further below.

All purpose flour– also known as refined flour; maida

Yeast – instant yeast (check expiry date)

Sugar – required for activating yeast/ proofing yeast

Salt – as preferred

Milk & water – required for activating yeast. Milk wash is needed for brushing on the bread before baking

Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil.

Za’ater / Zaatar/ Zaater – is a middle eastern spice mix. I have mentioned more on this when I made Zaater Cheese Manakeesh

Olive paste – Home made from green olives in brine.

Cheese – I used grated Mozzarella Cheese. Other great options are Akkawi cheese, Halloumi or even Cheddar.

Butter for brushing on the rolls after baking.

Video

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How to make Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls

Activate Yeast

Mixing instant yeast directly into the flour is fine. But I prefer to activate it.

Firstly take 50 ml of slightly warm milk.

To this milk, add sugar and instant yeast. Cover it and set aside for 10 minutes.

Thereafter, ideally the yeast blooms. This is activated yeast.

Make Bread Dough

In the meanwhile take all purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour.

Now pour the activated yeast solution over the flour.

With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer , make a soft dough. Around 40-50ml of slightly warm water will need to be added a little at a time.

Now that the dough is formed, place the dough onto the counter top.

Initially the dough will be sticky. Knead till dough leaves hand and is smooth.

Apply some oil on the dough and your hand and knead for five minutes more till the dough is smooth.

First Proofing

Now that the dough is smooth apply oil on the dough to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Also apply oil or spray oil on the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover with cling wrap.

Leave the bowl of dough to proof until it is double in volume. (This takes around 1-2 hours on the counter top. If kept in a warm place it takes around 40 minutes)

Making the Pull apart bread

Once the dough has doubled in volume, knock out the air.

Using some flour for dusting, roll out the dough to 10″ x 8″ sheet with 1/4 ” thickness.

Firstly, brush some extra virgin olive oil on the entire rolled out dough sheet leaving the edges.

Sprinkle zaatar all over the rolled dough sheet.

Then, spread the olive tapenade (paste) uniformly throughout.

Thirdly, sprinkle grated cheese all over the olive paste (tapenade) followed by a generous sprinkle of zaatar again. (Look further down in the FAQ for my vegan version of olive tapenade)

Starting from the longer side towards yourself, pull up the side towards you and start rolling into a log.

Dust some flour if needed.

Apply some water on the sides to seal and secure the log into a tight one.

Roll the log with hands to slightly elongate the log and even out its thickness.

Now cut into equal portions or rolls. This recipe fetched me 10 rolls.

Transfer these rolls into a lined baking tin leaving so that they barely touch each other.

Second Proofing

Cover this tin and set aside for 30 minutes. The rolls by now would be touching or snuggling together.

Apply milk wash on the rolls.

Bake these pull apart rolls in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 20 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 180ºC and bake for another 5-10 minutes. (Slight variations in baking time may occur for individual ovens)

Take the baked rolls out from the oven, remove the rolls from the tin at once. Brush some butter on the pull apart rolls.

Place them on a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy them warm and fresh.

What to serve with

Serve with grilled meats , Tandoori Chicken Whole legs, Easy Garlic Hummus or Spiced Labneh Dip or warm Marinara Sauce.

Tips for Perfect Pull Apart Bread

Take lukewarm water to activate yeast. Hot water will destroy the yeast.

Add the water to the dough gradually.

Keep the dough in warm place till it doubles in volume.

Once the dough has risen, knock off the air from the dough.

Leftover dough can be stored in a zip lock bag and kept in the fridge.

The olive paste should not have a lot of water content. For best results place olives on kitchen paper to get rid of excess brine.

Seal the edges of the bread dough log well so that the rolls don’t open when they are cut.

For the quantity of dough mentioned , use 7″ round baking tin. ( I used 6″ round baking tin, so had to adjust extra 2 rolls into other smaller baking cups).

For brushing the baked rolls, you could use olive oil instead for nutter

How to store bread

Home baked breads are best eaten the day they are baked.

Any leftover bread can be stored for two to three days in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Before eating, reheat it in the oven for its best flavor.

Do leave a feedback below in the COMMENTS SECTION or my FACEBOOK PAGE.

Recipe Card

Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls

Pull Apart Rolls recipe is a bread that is made by snuggling together small portions of yeast-dough into a baking tin. When baked, this bread shows up with distinct markings or indentations that allows the bread to be pulled apart. The highlight of Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls is the flavorful olive tapenade along with Zaatar and Cheese.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Proofing time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Breakfast

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Equipment

• Round baking tin 7"
• Hand or electric mixerwith hook or paddle

Ingredients

  

• 1.25 cup all-purpose flour 150gm
• ¼ tsp salt adjust as needed.
• ¼ tsp instant yeast
• ½ tsp sugar
• 50 ml milk for yeast activation
• 50 ml water for yeast activation
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Filling

• 1 tbsp Zaatar mix
• 2.5 tbsp olive paste
• 40 gm Cheese
• 10 gm butter to brush on baked rolls Alternatively, you can use olive oil.

Instructions

 

Activate Yeast

• Mixing instant yeast directly into the flour is fine. But I prefer to activate it.
• Firstly take 50 ml of slightly warm milk.
• To this milk, add sugar and instant yeast. Cover it and set aside for 10 minutes.
• Thereafter, ideally the yeast blooms. This is activated yeast.

Make Bread Dough

• In the mean while take all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour.
• Now pour the activated yeast solution over the flour.
• With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, make a soft dough. Around 40-50ml of slightly warm water will need to be added a little at a time.
• Now that the dough is formed, transfer the dough onto the counter top.
• Initially the dough will be sticky. Knead till dough leaves the hand and is smooth.
• Apply some oil on the dough and your hand and knead for five minutes more till the dough is smooth.

First Proofing

• Now that the dough is smooth apply oil on the dough to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Also apply oil or spray oil on the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover with cling wrap.
• Leave the bowl of dough to proof until it is double in volume. (This takes around 1-2 hours on the

Making the Pull Apart Bread

• Once the dough has doubled in volume, knock down the air.
• Using some flour for dusting, roll out the dough to 10″ x 8″ sheet with 1/4 ” thickness.
• Firstly, brush some extra virgin olive oil on the entire rolled out dough sheet leaving the edges.
• Sprinkle zaatar all over the rolled dough sheet.
• Then, spread the olive tapenade (paste) uniformly throughout.
• Thirdly, sprinkle grated cheese all over the olive paste (tapenade) followed by a generous sprinkle of zaatar again. (Look up in the FAQ for my vegan version of olive tapenade)
• Starting from the longer side towards yourself, pull up the side towards you and start rolling into a log.
• Dust some flour if needed.
• Apply some water on the sides to seal and secure the log into a tight one.
• Roll the log with hands to slightly elongate the log and even out its thickness.
• Now cut into equal portions or rolls. This recipe fetched me 10 rolls.
• Transfer these rolls into a lined baking tin leaving so that they barely touch each other.

Second Proofing

• Cover this tin and set aside for 30 minutes. The rolls by now would be touching or snuggling together. Apply milk wash on the rolls.

Bake

• Bake these pull apart rolls in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 20 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 180ºC and bake for another 5-10 minutes. (Slight variations in baking time may occur for individual ovens)
• Take the baked rolls out from the oven, remove the rolls from the tin at once. Brush some butter on the pull apart rolls.
• Place them on a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.
• Enjoy them warm and fresh.

What to serve with

• Serve with grilled meats, Tandoori Chicken Whole legs, Easy Garlic Hummus or Spiced Labneh Dip or warm Marinara Sauce.

How to store bread

• Home baked breads are best eaten the day they are baked.
• Any leftover bread can be stored for two to three days in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Before eating, reheat it in the oven for its best flavor.

Notes

• Take lukewarm water to activate yeast. Hot water will kill yeast.
• Add water to the dough gradually.
• Keep the dough in warm place till it doubles in volume.
• Once the dough has risen, knock off the air from the dough.
• Leftover dough can be stored in a zip lock bag and kept in the fridge.
• The olive paste should not have a lot of water content. For best results place olives on paper towel to get rid of excess brine.
• Seal the edges of the bread dough log well so that the rolls don’t open when they are cut.

Keyword how to make pull apart rolls, Olive Cheese Zaatar Bread, Pull Apart Bread

FAQ

What is olive tapenade

A flavorful paste or spread made from olives (mostly black or green)along with capers, anchovies and olive oil. Other add-ons to it are pesto, cilantro, lime or black pepper powder

For this recipe I made my own vegan olive tapenade. For this, I blended green olives with green chilis, garlic and a bit of olive oil.

Variations of pull apart bread

Its fillings could change – pizza fillings for pizza rolls, pesto fillings, cinnamon with cocoa and brown sugar.

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