Soft, buttery, cheesy pull-apart loaf with golden tops,

Yield: 1 loaf (about 12–16 pieces)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Rising time: 1½–2 hours total
Bake time: 25–30 minutes
Total time: about 3 hours

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
• 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant or active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp (25 g) sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 4 Tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 3–3½ cups (360–420 g) all-purpose or bread flour

Garlic Parmesan Butter

• 6 Tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 2–3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano (optional)
• Pinch of salt and black pepper

Optional extra cheese

• ½–1 cup shredded mozzarella (for extra stretch)

Instructions

1. Make the dough
   In a large bowl, whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
   Add the egg, melted butter, salt, and 3 cups flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead 6–8 minutes (by hand or mixer), adding flour only as needed, until smooth and slightly tacky.
   Place in a greased bowl, cover, and rise until doubled (1–1½ hours).
2. Make the garlic butter
   Mix melted butter, minced garlic, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Shape the pull-apart loaf
   Punch down the dough and divide into 12–16 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball.
   Dip or brush each ball generously in the garlic butter mixture (reserve a little for the top). If using mozzarella, tuck a small pinch inside some of the balls or sprinkle between layers.
   Arrange the coated balls snugly in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan (or similar), stacking them so they form a loaf shape.
4. Second rise
   Cover and let rise until puffy and nearly filling the pan, 30–45 minutes.
   Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
5. Bake
   Drizzle or brush any remaining garlic butter over the top and sprinkle with extra Parmesan and a little more parsley.
   Bake 25–30 minutes, until deep golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature about 190°F / 88°C). Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
6. Finish
   Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then turn out onto a board. Brush with a little extra melted butter if desired and sprinkle with more parsley and Parmesan. Serve warm so the pieces pull apart easily with that cheesy stretch.

Tips

• For maximum stretch, include a little mozzarella inside or between the dough balls.
• The loaf is best eaten fresh and warm. Leftovers reheat well wrapped in foil at 300°F for 10 minutes.
• You can also bake the coated balls in a round cake pan or Bundt pan for a different shape.

Enjoy your garlic Parmesan pull-apart bread!