Name: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 3 garlic cloves (finely minced); 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 sourdough loaf (boule or short oblong works best); 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

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Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread. Garlic butter and cheese tucked inside sliced sourdough bread then melted to perfection. What could be better?

Cheesy garlic Pull Apart Bread is a simple appetizer our entire family loves. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and about 30 minutes to bake. We love quick appetizer recipes like this. Some of our other favorites are this olive tapenade, easy bruschetta recipe, air fryer pasta chips, and crockpot BBQ meatballs.

Piece of garlic pull apart bread being pulled from a loaf.

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread:

In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, garlic, parsley, and salt. Then, set aside.
Use a sharp knife to cut the loaf of bread in rows about 1-inch apart on a diagonal. Don’t cut all through the bread. Leave it attached at the bottom.
Once the bread is sliced all the way across, turn it halfway and cut it again the same way again. There should be diamond shapes on the top after the bread is completely sliced in both directions.
Use a pastry brush to apply the butter mixture to the inside of the bread. Then, gently stuff bits of cheese into the bread.
Wrap the bread tightly in foil, and bake on 350°F for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Pull apart pieces of the warm bread and enjoy!

Collage showing how to make garlic pull-apart bread.

Garlic Pull Apart Bread Tips and Variations:

I love to use a sourdough boule for this cheesy garlic pull apart bread recipe, but any round or oblong loaf of bread will work. It just needs to be fairly sturdy to hold up to slicing and the addition of butter and cheese.
Cheddar cheese is a favorite for this recipe, but mozzarella is another great option. It’s super stretchy and melts well. Monterey Jack, pepper jack, and Parmesan would also taste wonderful in this bread. Parmesan won’t melt as well as the others, but it will still taste amazing. A blend of any of these cheeses would also work.
I chose finely minced raw garlic, but jarred garlic would also work. It’s going to give the bread a slightly different flavor due the garlic being in a vinegar-like solution. Some people prefer the jarred variety over raw, so use whatever you like better.
If you really want to get fancy, add some pepperoni, ham, olives, onions, or any other “toppings” that can easily be stuffed into the bread and baked without making it soggy.

Close up view of a loaf of cheesy bread.

Storage Recommendations:

Refrigerator: Store cheesy garlic pull apart bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the bread in the oven on 250°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Freezer: There are a couple of different ways to freeze this garlic pull apart bread.

The first way is to omit the garlic butter and stuff the bread with cheese. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. The bread should stay good for about 2 months. Unthaw at room temperature, then use a pastry brush to apply the garlic butter. Bake as directed.
The second way is to cut the baked bread into smaller, bite-sized pieces, and place in a Ziploc bag. The bread will freeze well for about 2 months. To reheat, place the frozen, cubed bread on a baking sheet lined with foil and toast in a toaster oven or conventional oven for 4 to 5 minutes, just until warm and crispy. You can even broil it briefly, just watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.

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Don’t forget to check out our Garlic Pull Apart Bread web story!