Mozzarella Stuffed Bread Is Too Easy When You Use The Air Fryer
Whether you're eating classic spaghetti, soup, or shellfish in broth for dinner, most meals could benefit from a side of cheesy bread. And if you want a quick appetizer that's easy for the whole family to grab, go for a mozzarella-stuffed pull-apart loaf. While it can sound complicated to create all those little sections that make the bread so easy to pull apart, this fancy-looking appetizer gets a whole lot simpler when you use the air fryer. All you'll need is a whole loaf of bread, bite-sized marinated mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), and olive oil.
Achieving the pull-apart effect is easier than it sounds too. Simply slice your loaf lengthwise and crosswise, or diagonally in one-inch sections, stopping just before you reach the bottom. Then simply wedge your bocconcini in the cracks of your bread, brush the whole thing with olive oil, and throw it in the air fryer. It should only take about 10 minutes for your loaf to heat in an air fryer set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and when you pull it out, you'll have melted, gooey cheesy bread that you can easily rip apart.
How to customize your air fryer mozzarella stuffed bread
When it comes to choosing the bread, pick a sturdy loaf that can stand up to all that cheese and oil, like sourdough or French bread. But while we want it to be hefty, it's also important that it fits in your air fryer, so cut a little off the top if it's too large. And for simple slicing, use a serrated knife, which will hack through all that crusty bread.
While mozzarella pearls may be easier to insert in your bread slits, you can also use the shredded form of the cheese. To do so, use your fingers to widen the slits and drizzle olive oil in between, then sprinkle your cheese in the cracks with the oil brushed again on top. Since shredded mozzarella doesn't typically come marinated in seasonings the way bocconcini does, feel free to sprinkle some salt, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or fresh minced basil on top as well.
And if all you've got is a big old ball of mozzarella, you can also rip it up and insert pieces in the slits of your loaf. If you use shredded cheese, you'll only have to air fry your bread for five minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but if you use pieces from a bigger ball, stick with the original 10 minutes. Once it's nice and warm, go ahead and dip your cheesy chunks into a side of marinara.