SPICY HARISSA PULL-APART BREAD

Spicy Harissa Pull-Apart Bread image

Provided by Erin Jeanne McDowell

Time 2h20m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup harissa
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Two 13.8-ounce tubes refrigerated pizza dough
1 large egg
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Steps:

Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with the butter.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl well. Add the harissa, parsley, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper and mix until well combined.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pizza dough and press both pieces together to form one large piece of dough. With a rolling pin, roll out to 1/4 inch thick. You should end up with a 16-by-16-inch square.
Dollop the harissa mixture all over the dough and spread into an even layer. Cut the dough into four 4-inch-wide strips, then cut crosswise to create sixteen 4-by-4-inch squares. Working one at a time, fold a piece of dough in half. Place the rounded/folded side in the base of the pan, with the filling side facing up. Continue to fold and place dough in the pan until the pan is full.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, 45 to 60 minutes. Towards the end of rise time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water to combine. Gently brush the egg wash over the surface of the dough and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
Bake until the bread is golden brown and the thickest part of the dough registers 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the outside edge to loosen the bread, then remove it from the pan. Serve warm.