Super Simple Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Cheesy garlic pull apart bread is one of my favorite appetizers to make. It’s relatively quick and easy, and you can prep it in advance.

And it disappears every time I make it.

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I always loved garlic bread, and this is like garlic bread on steroids. It’s even better with the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese I add to it.

This is absolutely fantastic for parties as a fun appetizer. It works equally well for an accompaniment to any sort of Italian meal I make.

I mean, hello fun New Year’s Eve dinner?

Usually I serve it by itself because it needs nothing to enjoy other than the fun of pulling it apart. Other times, I’ll serve it up with some marinara as a dipping sauce – use my 15 minute marinara sauce or your favorite jarred version.

What is the best bread to use for pull apart bread?

I love to use a crusty sourdough bread when I make by cheesy garlic pull apart bread. The tang of the sourdough is a perfect accompaniment.

This time around, I saved my sourdough loaf from my Wildgrain subscription box and use it to make the pull apart bread. Pure. Heaven.

I love all the Wildgrain products because they are so consistently full of flavor and so easy to pull from the freezer when I want a home cooked addition to my meals. Each month varies what’s in the box, but I know I always have a sourdough loaf – this is the perfect use for it.

I bake my sourdough bread as instructed and let it cool fully so it doesn’t dry out. The fact that I have the absolute freshest sourdough bread that has the most amazing crust? Just… yum.

Seriously, pull the product from the freezer and put it straight in the oven (or boiling water for the pasta). The instructions are on each package, and they’re ready in 30 minutes or less.

If you aren’t familiar with Wildgrain, definitely go read my full review of the sourdough subscription box service. It might be my favorite one out there.

Each month provides three loaves of bread in addition to the other products in the box, and it would be really fun to try it with one of the flavored sourdough loaves, too. In January, there is a spelt sourdough as one of the items in both the bakery box and the mixed box that would be a perfect one to use.

While I made the cheesy pull apart bread with my sourdough loaf this time, I have made strawberry stuffed French toast or the best grilled cheese ever other times. And that doesn’t even get into the items that change each month like the English muffins or biscuits or cookies or….

When you order from Wildgrain, make sure you use the code HONEST10 for a $10 discount on your first box. Plus, you get free croissants for life when you order by December 31, 2022.

What other flavors can I add to my cheesy garlic pull apart bread?

I make mine with butter and garlic, plus both fresh grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese. When I have some on hand, I’ll add fresh parsley, as well.

But you can have other additions, as well. Basil would be delicious in this, for example, as would Italian seasoning.

Mix in a tablespoon or so of ranch dressing powder into the butter after it melts. Or add some red pepper flakes to give it a spicy kick.

Mix in some pesto to the butter mixture or add sundried tomatoes to it. Green onion also works well in this cheesy bread.

Why shouldn’t I use jarred garlic?

I know mincing garlic cloves isn’t fun, but it’s worth it for the flavor boost. If you need to, go ahead and invest in one of the fun garlic rocker that works must better than a garlic press.

Jarred garlic however just doesn’t taste like garlic should in too many cases. It is often has added ingredients that also interfere with the flavor.

Plus, it’s already been partially cooked, which reduces the potency of it. And sitting in oil and water means it’s often older than you expect.

Just trust me. Invest in fresh garlic and cut it fresh each time.

What kind of cheese should I use for garlic bread?

Mozzarella is the necessary cheese. It melts so beautifully and gives a great cheesy pull, but I always supplement with some more flavorful cheese.

I love using fresh grated parmesan, and it’s the perfect complement.

Note that I said fresh grated. Why? Fresh grated parmesan will melt, while the other stuff has additives to keep it from sticking together and doesn’t melt well. Nope. Don’t do it.

I also sometimes add in some sharp cheddar cheese or some romano or asiago cheese. They also work well in a cheesy garlic bread.

Be sure to use enough melty cheese so you get that great cheesy pull, which is why I use about three-quarters mozzarella to one quarter parmesan in my recipe.

Go with my motto: you can never have too much cheese.

What kind of butter should I use?

Use unsalted butter.

Salted butter varies in its salt content by brand, so it’s hard to just. Plus, the parmesan adds enough of a salty component to the cheesy garlic bread, and you don’t want to have it oversalted!

Can I make cheesy garlic pull apart bread in advance?

You absolutely can make this in advance. Just don’t bake it until you’re ready to enjoy it if you can avoid it.

Go ahead and slice up your bread, add the melted garlic butter, and stuff it with cheese. Then wrap it tightly in foil.

You can refrigerate this for up to two days or freeze it for a month before you bake it. When you are ready to bake it, remove the tight foil and be sure to just loosely cover it.

Let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature, then bake it so you don’t overbake the crust.

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Bake your Wildgrain sourdough loaf as directed, then let it cool at least 10-15 minutes before you start the rest of this. Or make it in advance and have it ready to go.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut your butter into pats, which will help it melt more evenly and quickly. Add this to a pot, and turn the heat to low to melt it.

While the butter melts, mince your garlic cloves.

Add the garlic to the melted butter, and let it cook for a minute or two, then remove the pot from the heat. If you are using dried herbs or seasonings, add them when you add the garlic.

If you are adding fresh herbs or ingredients, add them after you cook the butter and garlic.

Use a serrated bread knife to cut your loaf of bread into a crosshatch pattern with cuts about a half inch apart. I find it easiest to cut lengthwise first starting on one edge and working over to the other, then cutting the opposite direction.

You will need to hold the loaf together as you get more cuts made so you don’t pull it apart as you slice it. And be sure you don’t cut all the way through the loaf, though you do want to get pretty far down to give plenty of room to all the garlicky cheesy goodness.

Tear off a sheet of tin foil large enough to cover the entire loaf loosely enough to create a bit of a tent on top of it when you finish. Set the bread on the piece of foil for the remainder of the prep.

Use a wide spoon like a soup spoon to scoop up the butter and garlic mixture and place it into each of the cuts you just made. Gently spread the bread apart and be sure to get it down in there so it doesn’t just drip off the bread.

Place your cheese into a bowl, and gently toss it to ensure the blend is evenly mixed. Again, spread the bread apart gently and stuff the loaf with the cheese down as far as you can.

It will feel like you are adding more cheese than you should, but trust me. The cheese melts, and you want a delicious ooey, gooey loaf at the end.

Gently wrap the loaf with the tin foil, tenting it on top so it has room for air to circulate inside. You don’t want to wrap it tight, which will also pull the melted cheese off the bread when you remove it.

Place the tin foil wrapped bread into the 350 degree oven directly onto the grates; you don’t need a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted.

I like to remove the foil and open it up for the last five to ten minutes of baking to give it a more golden brown and crispy crust, but you do not have to do this.

Let it cool just until you can move it to a serving platter, then serve immediately and enjoy!

Be sure to save this cheesy garlic pull apart bread recipe to make again!

Don’t forget to order your Wildgrain subscription box and use the code HONEST10 for $10 off your first box!

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