Delicious pull apart garlic bread, filled with the garlic and cheese, made as a loaf of pull apart bread.

pull apart garlic cheese bread on cooling rack

This pull apart loaf bakes up with a super soft, moist with all the great flavours of garlic and cheese in the middle, encased in a crispy crust. It’s the best of both worlds when it comes to cheesy garlic bread.

Speaking of crispy outside, that is thanks to the panko dusting that the pan gets. It’s a great technique for a lovely, crispy crust.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Yeast – you can use Active Dry Yeast, Instant Yeast or Rapid Rise Yeast. I’ve included instructions for each version in the Recipe Card.

Olive Oil – opt for extra virgin olive oil or substitute vegetable or canola oil.

Garlic Powder – note that garlic powder is specified, not garlic salt. Fresh garlic could be substituted, but the down side is that it tends to burn if exposed on the outside of the bread at all.

Mayonnaise – yes, it’s an unusual addition, but trust me, it works! I use real mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s

Recipe Tips

Rolling up the dough after you’ve spread your filling on it is best done using what I call the lift and flop method. Simply lift the rolled part and flop it forward. If you try to simply roll, all the filling will be pushed forward and you may end up with a big puddle on the counter at the end :)

The loaf bread shown here was baked in my 4×11-inch loaf pan. I’m thinking a 9×5 would be roughly equivalent. An 8×4 would probably be a tight fit.

pull apart garlic cheese bread on cooling rack

Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing

This bread can be made 6-8 hours ahead. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Re-warm before serving, if you like. Loosely wrap in aluminum foil and place into a 350F oven until warmed through, 10-15 minutes.

This bread will freeze well up to 2 months.

pull apart garlic cheese bread on cooling rack

Get the Recipe: Pull Apart Garlic Cheese Bread

Delicious pull apart garlic cheese bread, filled with flavour! Makes 2 loaves (freezes well).
5 stars from 3 ratings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Rising Time:: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 20 servings

Ingredients

For pan:

  • Olive oil
  • 1/4 cup panko

Dough:

  • 1 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 Tablespoons instant or rapid rise yeast
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 5-6 cups bread or all purpose flour

Filling:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

For topping:

  • 1 large egg
  • Pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • Sprinkling of additional Parmesan and mozzarella
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans with olive oil. Sprinkle with panko and tip to coat evenly. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook, whisk together the water and yeast. Let stand a few minutes. Add oil, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and about 4 cups of the flour. Mix and then knead, adding more flour in small increments, as necessary, to form a soft, moist dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45-60 minutes, or until almost doubled.
  • Meanwhile, prepared the filling by stirring together all the filling ingredients. Set aside.
  • When dough has risen, remove to a flour dusted work surface and gently deflate. Divide dough into two even pieces. Roll one piece of dough in to a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread 1/2 of the filling over dough, then roll up dough jelly-roll style.
  • Cut jelly roll in to 8-10 slices. Snug slices next to each other in prepared loaf pan. Repeat with remaining piece of dough and remaining filling.
  • Beat egg in a small bowl, then brush over dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper, then scatter a bit more Parmesan and mozzarella over top. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, over-top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough is puffy, about 45-60 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake 20 minutes at 375 F., then reduce oven to 350 F. and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, or until nicely browned and cheese is melted.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Bread
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 466mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 133IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 2mg
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