My Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread is the ultimate, cozy appetizer for New England get-togethers, like Super Bowl parties or weekend movie nights. This bread is the ultimate comfort food! It's loaded with melted cheese and buttery flavor, and it's so much fun to tear into.
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One of my family's favorite bread indulgences is garlic bread—it doesn't matter if it's a loaf, a pile of breadsticks, or a tumble of garlic knots. Buttery, garlicky bread: that's where it's at.
With plenty of garlic and gooey, melted Italian cheeses, it's no surprise then that my Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread recipe is a big hit in our house! I love to make this savory bread for game nights, or anytime friends and family want to get together.
Whether you prefer to make your own bread dough or would rather get some premade dough at the store, there are options below so that anyone can bake up a batch of this delicious tear-and-share bread!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What it is: A fun and indulgent appetizer made from little balls of dough drenched in garlic butter and loaded with gooey, melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- You'll love this part: It's the perfect, easy-to-share bread for parties and game nights, where everyone can just tear off a piece! You can even make it with store-bought dough.
- How it's made: Toss balls of bread dough in garlic butter and cheese, then pile them into a Bundt pan to rise. Bake until golden and bubbly.
Jump to:
- This savory bread is a family favorite
- What is pull-apart bread?
- Vegetarian Chili with Bulgur
- Why is pull-apart bread sometimes called monkey bread?
- Why you'll love this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
- What kind of dough can I use to make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread?
- Cracking Good Mac and Cheese
- 🔪 How to make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
- Garlic Pull-Apart Bread FAQs
- Tips:
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
This savory bread is a family favorite
Don't say out loud that you intend to make this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread unless you really mean it, with ingredients ready on the counter and a greased Bundt pan in hand. I share this warning because the last time I mentioned the possibility of baking up this cheesy, buttery loaf, my daughter cornered me in the kitchen—she declared that she would "literally kill me" if I didn't make this pull-apart bread for her, immediately, now!
I also recall with a lot of love that my Uncle Jack made my cheesy pull-apart bread recipe for several of his get-togethers, and let me know every time that it was a big hit. ("It was great, Nan!") We lost Uncle Jack not too long ago; I like that making this savory bread brings back so many happy memories of him.
That, of course, is the power and beauty of making and sharing recipes with family and friends. They become so much more than just recipes for things to be eaten; these dishes become links to memories of the happiest gatherings with the most treasured people in our lives.
Our most recent pan of this cheesy garlic bread was torn apart and devoured over multiple rounds of Rummikub with our son and his fiancée, after our grandson had gone to bed.
I have plans to make another round of this savory bread this weekend, when our daughter and her fiancé are here for dinner and games, most likely Hearts or Pitch. I haven't told her yet, so keep that between you and me. It's safest (for me) if we wait to tell her until the finished, hot platter of buttery pull-apart bread is in my hands ready to set out on the table!
What is pull-apart bread?
Pull-apart breads are perfect for parties and when your friends come over, because they're so easy to share!
Instead of shaping sweet or savory bread dough into a loaf or a round that will need to be sliced, in pull-apart bread recipes the dough is cut into small pieces and rolled into lots of little balls. The dough balls are dipped in a butter mixture—for sweet pull-apart breads this mixture can include sugar, chocolate, and caramel. In savory pull-apart breads, the melted butter often includes herbs, spices, cheese, and other savory mix-ins.
Pile the dough balls into a pan, let them rise, and then bake. The result is a shaped bread that's easy for your hungry fans to tear apart one flavorful bite at a time. It's a fantastic bread for parties to set out as an appetizer.
Make the bread as a side for...
Vegetarian Chili with Bulgur
It's a hearty and veggie-loaded chili with bulgur wheat.
Why is pull-apart bread sometimes called monkey bread?
Pull-apart breads also go by several other names, like tear-and-share, bubble bread, jumble bread, and, most fun of all, monkey bread. The origin of that particular name is a little hazy. According to Tori Avey, the resemblance of the piled-up dough balls to the old barrel of monkeys toy might be the source.
Avey also shares that pull-apart breads may have originated from a traditional Hungarian bread called arany galuska, also made with butter, dough balls, sugar, and cinnamon.
Whichever name you like, these breads are made in both sweet and savory varieties. I always think of monkey bread as being sweet, but there are savory versions out there, too. What's undisputed is that pull-apart breads like this Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread are always the most anticipated treat of any get-together!
Why you'll love this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Made of little balls of bread dough drenched in garlic butter and layered with cheeses, this pull-apart bread is so fun to put out for friends and family: think game nights, Super Bowl parties, holiday get-togethers, movie nights, or as a party appetizer.
After baking, this loaf is like dozens of little garlic knots all stick together with melted cheese! Set it out and let everyone pluck off pieces to devour.
Bake your pull-apart garlic bread in a Bundt pan or a tube pan for this recipe—that hole in the center of the pan helps the bread bake through completely. (No one wants to find any unbaked bread!)
The recipe can be made with homemade bread dough or with refrigerated or frozen store-bought dough. That means you have several options depending on how comfortable you are making bread dough and how much time you have.
What kind of dough can I use to make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread?
The easiest option for making this cheesy pull-apart bread from scratch is to pick up some bread dough from the store. This dough has already had the first stage of rising, so you can skip ahead to the rolling and cutting steps of the recipe. Look for bags of bread dough in the deli department or in the refrigerated case.
Another option is to make your own bread dough with active dry yeast, either by hand or in a bread machine. If you want to use your bread maker, this Easy Bread Machine Bread recipe from King Arthur Baking Company is a good choice. (Use the measurements for the large loaf.) Just set your machine to the "dough" setting; once it's done, you can proceed with the rolling and cutting step in the recipe.
For bread dough by hand, try this Classic White Sandwich Bread recipe, also from King Arthur Baking. After the dough has its initial rise, punch it down, then proceed with the rolling and cutting step in my recipe for the pull-apart bread.
Another cheesy favorite!
Cracking Good Mac and Cheese
Made with sausage, spicy diced tomatoes, and crunchy Fritos!
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🔪 How to make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients:
- Bread Dough: You can use bread dough made by hand, in a bread machine, or store-bought refrigerated or frozen bread dough. There are notes about this above, as well as in the recipe card below.
- Butter: Use good-quality butter for the best-tasting pull-apart bread. The dough balls are dunked in this melted butter!
- Garlic: Mince your own garlic cloves for the best flavor in the bread. Avoid jarred garlic if possible; it just doesn't taste as good. You can easily mince fresh, peeled garlic cloves with tools like a garlic press, ribbon grater, sharp kitchen knife, or mini food processor.
- Dried Parsley: I add this dried herb to the butter mixture for flavor and color in the pull-apart bread.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Use shredded or diced, fresh mozzarella cheese. It will melt more smoothly if you shred it yourself, but it's fine to use bagged, shredded mozzarella if that's the best option for you.
- Parmesan Cheese: Again, for the best flavor and melty texture, skip the shelf-stable cans and use freshly grated Parmesan cheese in the recipe.
- Salt and pepper: Add a little to the melted butter mixture.
- Fresh parsley: This is optional, but a sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley adds gorgeous color and fresh, herby flavor to the warm bread.
- Nonstick spray: Use this to coat the inside of the Bundt pan so that the baked cheesy pull-apart bread releases easily.
Make the garlic butter
Sauté minced garlic in butter for a minute or two, then stir in dried parsley.
Roll out and cut the dough
Divide the dough in half; roll each half into a rope, and cut it into small pieces.
Add garlic butter and cheese
Dunk the dough balls in the garlic butter, then mix in the two cheeses.
Let the bread rise
Spoon the dough and cheese into a Bundt pan. Cover the pan and let the bread rise.
Bake and serve
Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it's browned and cooked all the way through. Carefully invert the hot bread onto a platter or serving dish. Enjoy!
Garlic Pull-Apart Bread FAQs
I like to set the platter with the whole loaf of pull-apart bread right out in the center of the table, so everyone can reach in and tear off as much as they want! Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread has plenty of flavor on its own, but you can also set out dishes of marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping. Make this loaf as a snack or appetizer, or make it as a fun suppertime side for dishes like spaghetti and meatballs or a classic meatloaf.
Yes! If you're making your own dough, you can make this the day before and hold it in the fridge. You can also bake the cheesy pull-apart bread recipe ahead of time. Let it cool out of the pan, then cover the bread with food wrap. Or, put it back in the Bundt pan and cover the pan.) Hold the bread in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Yes, and this is great news for any leftover pull-apart bread or when you're making it ahead of time. Reheat the bread in a 350°F oven, either covered with foil on a baking sheet, or in the Bundt pan with foil over the top. Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes until it's hot all the way through.
I like baking this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread in a Bundt pan because the tube shape helps ensure that the center bakes through completely. A similarly-sized tube pan will also work here.
You can try this recipe in a 9 or 10-inch loaf pan. Cover the top with foil for the first half of the bake time, then remove the foil so the top can brown. Check the center with a digital thermometer—it should read 190°F when finished.
Or, bake the recipe in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Because this pan is shallow, begin checking the bread for doneness after 15 or 20 minutes.
Since my Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread is made with cheese and lots of butter, the answer is yes, you should store any leftovers in the fridge. Remember to wrap the leftover bread tightly to prevent it from drying out.
Tips:
- Make white bread dough in a bread machine set to the dough cycle, with a recipe like this one from King Arthur Baking Company.
- You can also make dough by hand: allow it to have the first rise, then punch it down and proceed with the recipe. This White Sandwich Bread recipe from King Arthur is a great choice.
- Another option is to pick up some pre-made, bagged bread dough at the store, often stocked in the deli department or in a refrigerated case. Frozen bread dough can also be used; thaw it completely in the fridge overnight.
Find the Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread recipe below. Here are more recipes to try, too:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley (or ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 24 ounces white bread dough (about 1½ pounds)
- Nonstick spray or butter (to coat the pan)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- Minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Make the garlic butter:
- In a medium skillet, melt the ¾ cup butter over medium heat, just until it begins to bubble.
- Add in the 5 cloves garlic, minced and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant and turning translucent, about 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set the pan aside to let the butter mixture cool.
Prepare the bread dough:
- Divide the 24 ounces white bread dough in half. Roll each half into a long rope. Cut or tear the ropes into 1-inch portions, and roll each portion into a ball.
Coat the dough balls:
- Grease the inside of a Bundt pan or tube pan (a pan with a hole in the center) with Nonstick spray or butter.
- Pour the butter-garlic-parsley mixture into a large bowl. Add in the dough balls one at a time, turning them in the mixture to coat them on all sides.
- Next, add in the 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces and 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
- Use a large spoon or your hands to gently mix the coated dough balls with the cheeses, so that the cheeses are distributed throughout the dough balls and butter mixture.
- Spoon all of the dough balls, cheeses, and butter mixture into the prepared Bundt pan. Move dough pieces around as needed so that there's an even layer in the pan.
Let the dough rise:
- Place a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the top of the pan and place it in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes so that the dough can rise.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Have ready a platter that has enough room to hold the bread and a lip to hold in any melted butter.
- Remove the plastic from the top of the pan and place it the oven to bake for 30 minutes. The top of the bread should be lightly browned. If you have a digital thermometer, you can use it to check the internal temperature of the bread—it should be around 190°F when done.
Remove it from the pan:
- Remove the pan from the oven. Run a knife or plastic frosting spreader between the bread and the pan all around to loosen it, including around the center column.
- Place the platter upside down over the top of the bread pan. Use oven mitts: with a firm grip carefully flip over the bread pan and platter so that the bread can fall out onto the platter.
- Garnish the top of the pull-apart bread with Minced fresh parsley leaves.
- Serve the pull-apart bread immediately while warm.
- Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
To reheat the bread:
- Place the pull-apart bread on a baking sheet and cover it with foil. Or, place the bread bake in the Bundt pan and cover the top with foil.
- Put the bread into a preheated 350°F oven, and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's hot all the way through.
Notes
- Make white bread dough in a bread machine set to the dough cycle, with a recipe like this one from King Arthur Baking Company.
- You can also make dough by hand: allow it to have the first rise, then punch it down and proceed with the recipe. This White Sandwich Bread recipe from King Arthur is a great choice.
- Another option is to pick up some pre-made, bagged bread dough at the store, often stocked in the deli department or in a refrigerated case. Frozen bread dough can also be used; thaw it completely in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Justin Mock says
Nan - sounds amazing! Placing an order now, please, for next time we are anywhere close by, thanks!!
Nancy Mock says
Anytime for you, Justin!