Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

A round loaf scored into pull-apart sections, loaded with garlic butter, herbs, and lots of melted cheese.

Ingredients (makes 1 large round loaf)

Dough (or use 1 lb store-bought pizza/bread dough)

• ¾ cup (180 ml) warm milk (≈110°F / 43°C)
• 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp salt
• 2¾–3 cups (330–360 g) all-purpose or bread flour

Garlic Butter

• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 5–7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2–3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• Optional: ½ tsp Italian seasoning or a pinch of red pepper flakes

Cheese

• 1½–2 cups shredded mozzarella
• ½–¾ cup shredded cheddar
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• Optional: sesame seeds for topping

Instructions

1. Make the dough
   Mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
   Add egg, softened butter, salt, and 2¾ cups flour. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
   Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (1–1½ hours).
2. Prepare garlic butter
   Stir together melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and any optional seasonings.
3. Assemble
   Punch down the dough and shape it into a large ball. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a greased round pan.
   Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut a deep grid pattern across the top (cut almost to the bottom but keep the base connected).
   Gently open the cuts and brush garlic butter generously into all the slits.
   Stuff the cuts with the shredded cheeses and Parmesan.
   Brush the top with more garlic butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
4. Second rise
   Cover and let rise until puffy, 30–45 minutes.
   Preheat the oven to 350–375°F (175–190°C).
5. Bake
   Bake for 25–35 minutes until deep golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
6. Finish
   Brush with any remaining garlic butter and sprinkle with extra parsley.
   Let cool 5–10 minutes, then pull apart and serve while the cheese is stretchy.

Tips

• Low-moisture mozzarella gives the best cheese pulls.
• For extra flavor, mix a little Parmesan into the garlic butter.
• Works great with store-bought dough for a quicker version.
• Best eaten warm. Reheat leftovers in the oven to re-melt the cheese.

Gooey, garlicky, and perfect for sharing. Enjoy!