Description
These Parmesan Bread Bites are soft, buttery, and packed with garlic and Italian seasoning, perfectly paired with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Made from classic pizza dough, they bake up golden and are ideal for dipping in marinara sauce. A delightful appetizer or snack that’s simple to prepare and pleasing to all.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- ⅓ recipe Classic Pizza Dough
For the Butter Mixture
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, heaping
For Topping & Serving
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: If using pizza dough from the refrigerator, leave it in the sealed bag on the counter for one hour to come to room temperature, ensuring better rise and easier handling.
- Shape the bread bites: On parchment paper, divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll each piece into a 10-inch rope. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice each rope into 10 one-inch pieces. Repeat with all dough pieces. Place the bites evenly spaced on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
- Let the dough rise: Cover the baking sheet with a clean tea towel and let the dough bites rise for 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 400°F (204°C) and prepare the baking sheet with cooking spray as needed.
- Make the garlic butter: Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Brush and bake: Brush half of the garlic butter mixture onto the tops of the dough bites. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until very lightly golden but still soft. Avoid overbaking to prevent hard bread bites.
- Finish topping: Remove the bites from the oven. Brush half of the remaining garlic butter onto half of the bites and sprinkle with half of the grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat with the other half so the cheese sticks well while the butter is still wet.
- Serve: Serve the Parmesan bread bites warm with your favorite marinara or an olive oil dipping sauce for a delicious snack or appetizer.
Notes
- Allowing dough to come to room temperature before shaping improves texture and rise.
- Do not overbake; bread bites should be soft and just lightly golden.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and melting characteristics.
- These bites pair wonderfully with marinara or olive oil dips but are delicious on their own.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 bread bites (approx. 60g)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
