Pioneer Woman Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread

Pioneer Woman cranberry brie pull apart bread is a festive holiday appetizer: caramelized onions, melty brie and cranberry sauce baked into a scored sourdough loaf. And since it feeds 6 to 8 and takes just 20 minutes of hands-on work, it's a go-to for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any winter party.

The step that makes this work is the caramelized onions, which need a full 25 minutes on low heat to turn sweet and deep. So don't rush them, because the brown sugar and balsamic you stir in at the end only build on flavor that slow cooking already created.

Most pull-apart bread recipes just slash and stuff, but this one uses a diamond cross-hatch cut that opens more pockets for cheese and sauce. And the two-stage bake, wrapped in foil first then uncovered, melts the brie all the way through before the top gets crisp.

Pioneer Woman Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread

Recipe by Bilel

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Calories

665

kcal

A scored round sourdough loaf brushed with rosemary garlic butter, layered with slow-cooked onions, cranberry sauce, brie and pepper jack, then baked in foil until everything melts together.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) salted butter, melted

• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1 tbsp. packed light brown sugar

• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 (14-oz.) can whole cranberry sauce

• 1 round artisan or sourdough loaf (about 1 lb.)

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 (8-oz.) wheel of brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch strips

• 1 c. shredded pepper jack or white cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)

Directions

• Caramelize the onions: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and golden. Keep the heat low so the onions turn sweet instead of scorching.
• Finish the onions: Stir in the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook 5 to 7 minutes more, until the onions are very deep in color. Take the pan off the heat.
• Score the bread: Heat the oven to 350°. Cut the loaf into 3/4-inch slices, going about three-quarters of the way down so the bottom stays whole. Turn the loaf 45 degrees and cut again the same way to make a diamond pattern.
• Butter the cuts: Stir the garlic into the rest of the melted butter. Set the loaf on a large piece of foil on a sheet pan and brush the butter deep into the cuts, so every piece gets some.
• Fill the loaf: Tuck the onions, spoonfuls of cranberry sauce, the brie strips and the shredded cheese down into the cuts. Spread them through as many pieces as you can, so every bite pulls away with a little of everything.
• Bake and serve: Bring the foil up around the bottom and sides of the loaf to catch the drips. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the top is crisp. Serve it warm and let everyone pull it apart.

Tools for this recipe

• OXO silicone pastry brush, Mercer Millennia 10-inch bread knife, Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can you use fresh cranberries instead of canned cranberry sauce?

This recipe calls for canned whole cranberry sauce, which gives you the right sticky, spreadable texture to fill the cuts in the bread. And fresh cranberries on their own won't work because they're too firm and tart, so you'd need to cook them down with sugar first.

How deep should you cut the bread for the pull-apart pattern?

Cut about three-quarters of the way through the loaf, which leaves enough base to hold everything together while the top pulls apart easily. And rotate the loaf 45 degrees before making the second set of cuts, since that's what creates the diamond pattern she describes.

Does the brie rind need to come off before baking?

The recipe says to cut the brie into 1/2-inch strips, and the rind is edible so you can leave it on. But if you want a cleaner melt, trim the rind off the top and bottom before slicing, since the side rind softens in the oven.

What's the best way to reheat leftover pull-apart bread?

Wrap the leftover bread in foil and warm it in a low oven until the cheese melts again, which keeps the crust from getting hard. But skip the microwave, because it turns the bread chewy and the cheese rubbery.

Can you skip the caramelized onions to save time?

You can leave them out, but they add the layer of sweetness and depth that takes this from a good appetizer to a great one. And since the onions cook mostly on their own while you prep the rest, they're worth the 25 minutes.