Cheesy Garlic Bread at the Table

Pull Apart Bread: Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe

Get ready to indulge in every garlic lover’s dream with our simple cheesy garlic bread recipe! This pull-apart bread is a symphony of flavors, featuring melted cheese, fragrant herbs, and perfectly crisp Italian bread. It’s the standout comfort food that pairs perfectly with soup, salad, pasta, or just about anything else you can think of!

And the finest part? This recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. With just a few basic ingredients and minimal prep time, you can have from-scratch cheesy garlic bread on the table in no time!

Cheesy Garlic Bread (Pull Apart Bread)

There’s nothing better than a warm piece of garlic bread served straight from the oven! Especially when it’s paired with a bowl of spicy tomato soup or oven baked spaghetti, and this recipe is to die for.

Crisp on the outside yet soft and tender on the inside and absolutely oozing with silky, cheesy goodness it’s simple to make and will have your family begging for seconds. Whether you serve this cheesy garlic bread recipe as a side dish with dinner or bring it to a party as an appetizer or potluck contribution, it’s always an absolute hit!

What Is Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread?

Cheesy garlic pull-apart bread is exactly what it sounds like! Unlike regular cheesy garlic bread that is completely sliced and served in pieces, pull-apart bread is served as a complete loaf that has been partially sliced into. As a result, it is simple to “pull apart” pieces without tearing up the whole loaf.

What Does It Taste Like?

Incredible! This cheesy garlic bread recipe has a soft interior and a thick, crusty exterior, and every inch is coated in cheesy, buttery goodness. As it bakes, the butter and cheese melt into the bread, infusing it with a savory, herbaceous flavor.

cheesy garlic bread split into two pull apart bread loaves

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this irresistible cheesy garlic pull-apart bread, you’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need to bring this savory delight to life:

Bread – Use a pre-made bread loaf for simple baking! We like white Italian loaves or sourdough finest.
Garlic – For a bold flavor, we use a whole head of garlic and roast it in the oven!
Olive Oil – This is essential to help caramelize the garlic and bring out its natural flavor.
Butter – Unsalted butter works finest so as not to overpower the rest of the ingredients. Just make sure your butter is at room temperature for simple mixing and spreading!
Salt and Pepper – Used to enhance the taste of the rest of the ingredients.
Parsley – Fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley adds a bright flavor helping to balance out the heaviness of the rest of the ingredients. If preferred, dried parsley could be used as well.
Cheese – A combination of shredded mozzarella and parmesan makes this cheesy garlic bread out-of-this-world tasty.

How to Make This Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe

Tastier than any frozen garlic bread options you’ll find, this cheesy garlic bread recipe is super simple to make!

Prepare the garlic. To begin, preheat your oven, and peel off the outer layers of the whole head of garlic. Make sure to leave the cloves intact! Then, using a sharp knife, slice off the top ¼ of the garlic head to expose the garlic underneath. Drizzle olive oil on top, and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Bake the garlic. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes. Then, set it aside to cool.
Prepare the butter mixture. Once cooled, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a large mixing bowl. Then, add the room-temperature butter, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Slice the bread. Cutting vertically, make ½ inch cuts into the bread loaf, slicing 90% of the way down. You want to make sure not to cut all the way through!
Spread the butter. Spread the prepared compound butter mixture between each layer of bread and on top. Then, sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil, and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp.
Serve. Remove the bread from the oven, and serve warm using a knife to fully slice the pieces or your hands to simply pull it apart!

Overhead image of cheesy garlic bread sliced into pull apart bread on a cutting board

Tips and Tricks

Soften your butter. You’ll want to let your butter sit out at room temperature for at least an hour before making this cheesy garlic bread recipe.
For slightly crispier garlic bread, allow it to broil for 1-2 minutes before removing it from the oven.
Wait a few minutes before slicing. This will allow the cheese to set slightly and allow for simple serving.

Make Ahead and Storage Options

It’s rare that we ever have leftovers. However, if you do, they can be placed in a sealable bag or airtight container and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Or, for longer-lasting cheesy garlic bread, wrap your leftovers in foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Cheesy Garlic Bread Common Questions

What’s the finest bread for garlic bread?

For this recipe, we recommend using a long loaf that has a thick crust and a soft, fluffy center like an Italian loaf or sourdough. You’ll want to avoid breads like French baguettes and Challah — they don’t stand up to the heat of the oven, allow for absorption, or pair well with the savory flavor combination of cheesy garlic bread.

What cheese goes finest on garlic bread?

We love mozzarella because it melts beautifully and creates that signature cheese pull. We also love parmesan for the sharp, salty kick it adds. You can also try fontina or gruyere which give the garlic bread a rich, nutty flavor that’s absolutely incredible.

How do you keep garlic bread from getting soggy?

The number one way to avoid soggy garlic bread is to not overdo it with the butter. Also, make sure your oven is fully preheated to get that reliable crackly exterior while the inside stays soft.

How do you soften hard garlic bread?

It’s simple to soften garlic bread that has hardened! Just wrap it in slightly damp paper towels and microwave in 10-second bursts. Or, sprinkle a few drops of water on it and reheat in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5-10 minutes.

More Tasty Bread Recipes

If you’re on the hunt for more simple from-scratch bread recipes to elevate your baking game, you’re in luck! Here are some of our go-to bread recipes that are sure to impress:

overhead image of a loaf of cheesy garlic bread

the Ayyem kitchenServings: 8 people

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 1 hr 50 mins

A garlic lover’s dream, this simple cheesy garlic bread recipe is a pull-apart bread made with melted cheese, fresh herbs, and crisp Italian bread. Pair it with soup, salad, pasta, and more! Email

Ingredients

2 heads garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt more or less to taste
8 Tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper more or less to taste
1 loaf Italian bread

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the outer layers of the whole head of garlic. Making sure to leave the garlic cloves intact.2 heads garlic
Using a sharp knife, cut the top 1/4 off the head of garlic to expose the cloves underneath. Drizzle olive oil on top, and add a dash of salt and pepper. Cover the garlic with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven, and set it aside to cool. 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a large mixing bowl. Add the room temperature butter, parsley, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth.8 Tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Slicing downward, make 1/2 inch wide cuts in the bread, stopping just before it is sliced all the way through. Spread the prepared compound butter mixture between each slice and on top. Wrap the bread loaf with aluminum foil, covering it completely. 1 loaf Italian bread
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp on the outside.
Remove the loaf from the oven, and leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, slicing completely or pulling the loaf apart with hands.