This fluffy garlic pull-apart bread is loaded with garlic powder and freshly minced garlic for tons of flavor along with dried herbs & Parmesan. It's super easy to make after a long workday or for a savory weekend bake.
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Tear and Share this Rustic Cheesy Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is a nostalgic classic for good reason, like my favorite garlic & cheese bread rolls. But have you tried garlic pull-apart bread before? It takes a simple side dish and turns it into the main event.
In fact, I created this recipe for when you want an effortlessly impressive loaf for a cozy night at home. Starting with my tried-and-true enriched bread dough, I flavored it with garlic powder and Italian seasoning for similar comforting + savory vibes as my Italian herb cheese bread. Then the dough gets rolled out, slathered in butter, fresh garlic, and Parmesan, and sliced into squares before it's packed into a loaf pan. The end result is a fun tear-and-share bread that's slightly crispy on the outside & fluffy on the inside.
Notes from Recipe Testing
When I first tested this recipe, I tried to fit wayyy too much dough in my loaf pan during one recipe test, which unfortunately caused it to overflow, drop on my oven floor, and create a smoky disaster… So after tweaking this recipe several more times, I reduced the overall amount of dough and found that folding each square of dough in half prevents that precious buttery, cheesy filling from leaking out the bottom.
Let's Gather Our Ingredients: milk, granulated sugar, instant yeast, eggs, unsalted butter, all purpose flour, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, garlic, and Parmesan.
Let's Bake Bread Together!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Whisk the warm milk, sugar, instant yeast, eggs, and softened butter.
2. Mix in the flour, garlic powder, Italian herb seasoning, and salt.
3. Knead the dough.
5. Mix the garlic butter.
7. Spread the butter over the dough.
9. Slice the dough into 12 even squares.
11. Proof the dough.
4. Cover & let it rise.
6. Roll out the dough.
8. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
10. Fold them half & arrange in a loaf pan.
12. Bake & enjoy!
My Top Tips for Foolproof Pull-Apart Bread
- Filling: When I have my garlic compound butter on hand, I swap that in for the filling to skip a step.
- Flavor: I love using garlic powder in the dough for even distribution, and fresh garlic in the filling for a ka-pow of flavor. But if you want a milder flavor, swap in a teaspoon of garlic powder in the filling.
- Baking: While I test most of my rustic breads to see if they're done baking by tapping the top or bottom for a hollow sound, filled breads are different. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to make sure your bread is at least 190°F in the center, since the moisture released from the butter + cheese can make the center doughy if it's not baked long enough.
Cheesy Herb and Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
BREAD
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
FILLING
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated (a little less than 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan or Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Warm the milk: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds, until it's between 98°F to 105°F.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk with the sugar, instant yeast, eggs, and softened butter.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, garlic powder, Italian herb seasoning, and salt. Mix with a large wooden spoon until it forms a soft dough.
- Knead the Dough: On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or knead the dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment for about 3 minutes.)
- Let the Dough Rise: Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about 1 hour.
- Make the Filling: Mix the softened butter, minced garlic, dried herbs, and salt in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
- Fill the Dough: Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and set aside. On a clean work surface, roll out the dough until it's about 12 inches by 16 inches. Spread the butter filling over the dough in an even layer, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top.
- Shape the Dough: Cut the dough into 12 even squares (3 squares by 4 squares) (each square should be 4 inches by 4 inches). Fold each square of dough in half and place it in the prepared loaf pan so the folded side is on the bottom of the pan, and the open side is facing up.
- Proof the Dough: Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel. Set aside to proof for 1 hour, until the loaf has puffed up. The dough is done proofing when an indent made by your finger springs back to its original shape after 2-3 seconds.
- Bake the Bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 190°F-200°F. Gently tent a large piece of aluminum foil over the bread after 25 minutes, to prevent the top from getting too brown. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan to tear & share!
- Optional: Brush the top with a little melted butter and sprinkled with freshly chopped herbs.
Notes
- Garlic: You can swap garlic paste in the filling to save time and prep.
- Dried Herbs: I prefer using Italian seasoning, which is packed with flavor from a blend of dried herbs, usually including oregano, basil, thyme, which all taste amazing with garlic + cheese. I find that it's easier and cheaper than getting all the individual herbs.
- Storing: I usually store my bread for a few days at room temperature. If you're storing your loaf longer, you'll want to keep it in the fridge. Once it's fully cool, you can still pull it apart or slice it with a serrated knife to easily reheat it in the toaster to golden, crispy perfection.
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