Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

5 from 2 votes. Tap stars to vote

I love to make this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread for our New England game nights and Super Bowl parties! It's a flavorful, cheese-filled tear-and-share treat that our friends and family love.

Prep Time43

Cook Time38

Rising Time45

Total Time2 6

Course: Appetizer, Bread, Comfort Food, Game Day, Super Bowl Food

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 511kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

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

US Customary - Metric

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