This Pull-Apart Garlic Bread is buttery, cheesy, garlicky, and beautiful to boot. It’s a show-stopper for your dinner table!
I’m always looking for creative ways to jazz up a classic. And this Pull Apart Garlic Bread delivers with its sky-high tower of delicious, cheesy garlic bread.
It’s great for entertaining or for bringing to a party. Who doesn’t love cheesy garlic bread? (See also my Bisquick Cheddar Biscuits with garlic butter!).
There are a lot of recipes for pull-apart garlic bread that involve slicing a baked loaf of bread in a cross-hatch pattern. I made one once for a party that was served buffet-style, and I vowed to never make it again.
As I went to grab a piece of the bread, I touched a bunch of other pieces trying to pull it out. Yuck. I’m not a huge germaphobe, but I draw the line at touching other people’s food in a buffet line.
But with this Pull-Apart Garlic Bread, guests can grab a piece and it’ll break away easily (without them touching other pieces).
It’s basically a savory, cheesy monkey bread! (And it is delicious served with an easy Shrimp Scampi recipe.)
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Ingredients
- You can find frozen bread dough in the freezer section of your grocery store. It’s typically sold in packages of two loaves (we’ll use both for this recipe).
- We’ll roll the dough in a mixture of butter, garlic powder, and salt.
- Then, we’ll roll the dough in grated parmesan cheese and parsley.
Special equipment
You’ll need an angel food cake pan (also known as a tube pan) for this recipe. You can also use a bundt pan.
Two 9×5 inch loaf pans would also work.
How to make pull-apart garlic bread (cheesy garlic bread)
Defrost two loaves of frozen bread dough (I used Rhodes) overnight in the refrigerator.
Cut each loaf into 12 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, then roll each ball into melted butter (with garlic powder). Then, roll it in a mixture of Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley.
Next, wrap the bottom of a tube pan
, which is also called an angel food cake pan, with aluminum foil. This will prevent butter from escaping from the bottom and dripping into your oven.
Gently place the balls of dough into the tube pan, distributing them evenly around the pan.
Leave the bread dough on the counter for two hours, or until it’s doubled in size.
Finally, bake it for 40–50 minutes, or until it looks like this (whoa!). And the only thing left to do is dig in!
Can I make pull-apart garlic bread ahead of time?
You can make Pull Apart Garlic Bread up to 1 day in advance of serving. Cover it tightly before storing it at room temperature.
I recommend popping it into a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes before serving—it’s particularly delicious when warm!
Can I freeze pull-apart garlic bread?
Wrap the loaf of baked bread tightly in two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this recipe in a bundt pan.
Yes! Halve the ingredients and bake it in a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Substitute half the amount of dried parsley for fresh parsley.
Main dishes to serve with pull-apart garlic bread
- Freezer-Friendly Baked Ziti
- Soup or chili
- Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix
- Crockpot Pot Roast
- Pizza Casserole
- Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 2 loaves frozen white bread dough (I used Rhodes)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place the loaves of frozen bread dough in the pan. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray. Cover the pan with the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 12 hours.
- Spray a tube pan (angel food cake pan) with cooking spray. Wrap the bottom of the pan with a layer of aluminum foil. This will catch any drips of butter that could leak out the bottom.
- Remove the bread dough from the refrigerator. Place one of the pieces of dough on a cutting board. Cut into 12 pieces. Repeat with the remaining loaf of dough. Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, or until melted. Stir the garlic powder and kosher salt into the butter. In another bowl, stir together the dried parsley flakes and the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Roll each piece of dough into the melted butter mixture. Then roll into the Parmigiano Reggiano mixture. Pack the balls gently into the tube pan.
- Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (about 2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and then position another rack underneath. Place a sheet pan on the lower rack to catch any drips, and place the tube pan on the upper rack. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until browned on top. Serve warm.
I love poached fish or chicken, but I seem to do something wrong. I think I should have been starting with cold water instead of simmering. I am going to try your technique. And the leek sounds like a good idea also. 🙂
Looks beautiful and delicious! I do some prep ahead meals but not that many. I think this is very worthwhile and nice to know you always have a meal on hand!