A round golden bread flower in a dark skillet, spiraled pieces glistening with lime crema and scattered with emerald cilantro, green pepitas, jewel-like watermelon salsa, and lime zest.

Chile-Lime Watermelon & Oaxaca Pull-Apart Bread

Name: Chile-Lime Watermelon & Oaxaca Pull-Apart Bread
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups seedless watermelon finely dice; divide into 1 1/4 cups for jam and 1/4 cup for salsa; 3/4 cup Oaxaca cheese shred and divide; 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream; 1 lime zest and juice; 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo finely mince; 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder; 1 small jalapeño deseed and finely mince; 2 tablespoons pepitas divide; 2 tablespoons, plus extra to finish cilantro finely chop the leaves; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing whole milk warm; reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melt; 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast; 1 tablespoon piloncillo or light brown sugar finely grate the piloncillo, if using; 1 teaspoon neutral oil use for greasing; 3/4 teaspoon fine salt divide; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar divide

Golden pull-apart bread with chile-lime watermelon jam and Oaxaca cheese.

Category Bread

Prep 90 minutes

Cook 25 minutes

Style Mexican

Technique Simmering

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily recipe · September 04, 2026

A little about this dish

Instead of serving watermelon cold, this recipe reduces it into a glossy ancho-chipotle jam. Its concentrated sweetness cuts through stretchy Oaxaca cheese, while fresh jalapeño-watermelon salsa keeps each bite bright. Soft milk-enriched dough, crunchy pepitas, lime crema, and cilantro create a dramatic pull-apart centerpiece.

Ingredients (for 2)

Seedless watermelon — 1 1/2 cups — finely dice; divide into 1 1/4 cups for jam and 1/4 cup for salsa
Oaxaca cheese — 3/4 cup — shred and divide
Mexican crema or sour cream — 1/4 cup
Lime — 1 — zest and juice
Chipotle chile in adobo — 1/2 — finely mince
Ancho chile powder — 1 teaspoon
Small jalapeño — 1 — deseed and finely mince
Pepitas — 2 tablespoons — divide
Cilantro — 2 tablespoons, plus extra to finish — finely chop the leaves
All-purpose flour — 3/4 cup
Whole milk — 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing — warm; reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing
Unsalted butter — 1 tablespoon — melt
Instant yeast — 1/2 teaspoon
Piloncillo or light brown sugar — 1 tablespoon — finely grate the piloncillo, if using
Neutral oil — 1 teaspoon — use for greasing
Fine salt — 3/4 teaspoon — divide
Granulated sugar — 2 teaspoons — divide

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍉🌶️🍯

Reserve 1/4 cup diced watermelon for the salsa. Simmer the remaining watermelon with piloncillo, ancho chile powder, chipotle, lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 15–20 minutes, stirring and lightly mashing until thick. Cool completely.
Step 2 — 🥛🍞🥣

Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar into the warm milk. Rest for 5 minutes, then mix in the flour, melted butter, remaining sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to form a shaggy dough.
Step 3 — 🤲⏱️🌱

Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 45–60 minutes, until nearly doubled.
Step 4 — 🫓🧀🌰

Grease a 6-inch round skillet or cake pan. Roll the dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Spread with cooled watermelon jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese and 1 tablespoon pepitas.
Step 5 — ✂️🌀🍞

Fold the dough in half lengthwise. Cut it into 6 equal strips, gently twist each strip, then loosely coil them and arrange them spiral-side up in the prepared pan.
Step 6 — 🔥🥛✨

Cover and let the shaped dough rise for 20–25 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush the dough with the remaining milk and sprinkle with the remaining Oaxaca cheese and pepitas.
Step 7 — ⏲️🥖🏆

Bake for 22–26 minutes, until deeply golden and cooked through in the center. Rest for 5 minutes.
Step 8 — 🍋🌿🥄

Toss the reserved watermelon with the jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and the remaining salt. Stir the crema with 1 teaspoon lime juice.
Step 9 — 💧🌿🍽️

Drizzle the lime crema over the warm bread. Spoon the watermelon salsa on top, finish with cilantro and lime zest, and serve immediately.

A final fox tip

The watermelon jam can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature before spreading. Oaxaca cheese can be replaced with Monterey Jack or low-moisture mozzarella. For extra color and heat, finish with a few drops of chile oil. Children can help scatter the cheese and pepitas.