Cheese and Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Pull apart bread is a new family obsession.
A few weeks ago I made it for the first time with a loaf of my fresh baked bread and it was amazing. I actually posted the recipe for it here – Bacon and Cheddar Pull Apart Bread.
Pull apart bread is the perfect appetizer for almost any gathering. It is simple to prepare and oh so good. Every time I have served pull apart bread, people freak out over it and it is almost always the first appetizer gone.
One thing I love about pull apart bread is that you can vary what you stuff it with, making the possibilities endless.
Another aspect of this pull apart bread that makes it ideal for parties, is that it can be prepped ahead of time. Follow steps 1-4 and once it is wrapped in foil, it can be put in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. I always look for recipes that can be prepped ahead as it lowers the stress and chaos during the actual gathering or party.
Today’s pull apart bread is a classic cheesy garlic bread but done so that it is a pull apart bread.
This bread is amazing. Buttery, garlicky and super gooey with lots of melted mozzarella cheese. Every piece of bread you pull away has loads of cheese and is packed with flavour.
To make a pull apart bread, you need to get a nice fresh crusty style loaf of bread. I use round rustic artisan bread which is perfect for a pull apart appetizer.
I actually bake my own bread and have a recipe for the kind which I use for this cheese and garlic pull apart. You can find the recipe here: How to Bake Artisan Bread.
To get the bread ready, it needs to be sliced into slits in a criss cross pattern. Have the slices about 1 inch apart and make sure not to cut all the way to the bottom of the bread. I cut the slices to about 1/2 to 1 inch from the bottom of the bread.
You can see the way I slice the bread in the photo above.
Once you have cut the slits into the loaf of bread, the next step is to stuff the grated cheese into all the slits. Make sure to press the cheese right down to the bottom of the slits and also ensure that you are getting cheese in the slices going both ways.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, minced garlic, salt and parsley. Brush the garlic butter mixture all over the bread and cheese.
Once you have brushed the butter all over the bread, it is ready to go in the oven!
Cover with the foil and bake in a 350F oven for 25 minutes. The first part of baking is done with the bread covered in foil to prevent the bread from drying out and getting too crispy.
Once the bread has been in the oven for 25 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
This is an appetizer that you want to make sure is served warm. The cheese should be melted and gooey, especially as a piece of bread is pulled away from the loaf.
I love that this appetizer is served just like this. Take it out of the oven and place it on a serving tray. It is perfect for a party or other gathering where you are serving appetizers. This will be a huge hit!
Cheese and Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf round artisan bread
- 3 cups grated mozarella cheese
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 6 cloves garlic , minced finely
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp parsley
Instructions
- Cut slits into the bread in a criss cross pattern, with the cuts about 1 inch apart. Make sure to not go all the way through the bottom of the bread. Place on a baking sheet.
- Stuff grated mozzarella cheese into the slits of the bread.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, minced garlic, salt and parsley.
- Brush the garlic butter mixture all over the bread, making sure to get it into the slits of the bread as well. Cover with foil.
- Bake in a 350F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve.