Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Soft, buttery bread scored into sections and loaded with garlic butter, herbs, and stretchy melted cheese.

Ingredients (1 loaf)

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

Cheese

• 1½–2 cups shredded mozzarella
• ½–¾ cup shredded cheddar
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan

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.
   Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (1–1½ hours).
2. Garlic butter
   Stir together melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and optional seasoning.
3. Assemble
   Roll or press the dough into a rectangle roughly the size of a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
   Brush generously with garlic butter and sprinkle most of the cheeses over the top.
   Cut the dough into a grid of squares or strips (don’t cut all the way through the bottom).
   Transfer to a greased loaf pan, gently pressing the pieces together.
   Drizzle remaining garlic butter over the top and finish with the rest of the cheese + Parmesan.
4. Second rise
   Cover and let rise until puffy (30–45 minutes).
   Preheat oven to 350–375°F (175–190°C).
5. Bake
   Bake 25–35 minutes until deep golden and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned in spots. Tent with foil if needed.
6. Finish
   Brush with any leftover garlic butter and sprinkle with extra parsley.
   Rest 5–10 minutes, then pull apart and serve while the cheese is still gooey.

Tips

• Use low-moisture mozzarella for the best cheese pulls.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or chili crisp for a little heat.
• Works great with store-bought pizza dough if you’re short on time.
• Best eaten warm. Reheat leftovers in the oven to melt the cheese again.

Gooey, garlicky perfection. Enjoy!