Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread

Before you start

This is monkey bread turned savory. Instead of cinnamon sugar and caramel, small balls of soft dough are dipped in garlic-and-herb butter and stacked in a Bundt pan with layers of mozzarella and Parmesan. It bakes into a golden ring that people pull apart by hand, with melted cheese stretching between the pieces.

The dough is enriched with milk, egg and butter so the pieces stay tender even with all that cheese. The main risk is a raw center: a tall ring of buttery dough bakes slowly in the middle. Check the internal temperature rather than trusting the color on top, and let the bread sit for a few minutes so the cheese sets enough to unmold cleanly.

Ingredients

• Dough400 g (3⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
• 15 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 8 g (1⅓ tsp) fine salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 1 large egg
• 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Garlic butter85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted
• 3 cloves garlic — finely grated
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley — finely chopped
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp fine salt
• Cheese150 g (1½ cups) low-moisture mozzarella — coarsely grated
• 40 g (½ cup) Parmesan — finely grated

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk and egg and mix on low until combined, then add the soft butter and knead on medium-low for 7 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
2. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
3. Stir the melted butter, garlic, parsley, oregano and salt together in a bowl. Mix the mozzarella and Parmesan in a second bowl. Brush the Bundt pan generously with some of the garlic butter, including the center tube.
4. Press the dough flat and divide it into 32 pieces of about 23 g each. Roll each into a ball.
5. Dip one-third of the balls in the garlic butter, letting excess drip off, and arrange them in a single layer in the pan. Scatter one-third of the cheese over them. Repeat twice more, ending with cheese. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top.
6. Cover and proof until the dough has risen to about 2.5 cm (1 in) below the rim, 40 to 50 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower-middle position.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the ring reads 88°C (190°F). Tent with foil if the cheese darkens too quickly.
8. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes, run a thin spatula around the edges and tube, then invert onto a plate. Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

Tips for success

• Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh. Fresh mozzarella releases water and makes the bottom layer soggy.
• Grate the cheese yourself if you can; bagged shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch that melts less smoothly.
• Set the Bundt pan on a baking sheet in the oven to catch any butter that bubbles over.

Substitutions

Homemade dough

About 750 g store-bought pizza or roll dough, thawed if frozen. Lean pizza dough gives a chewier, less tender bread.

Mozzarella

Fontina, provolone or sharp white cheddar at the same weight. Cheddar is saltier, so reduce the salt in the butter to a pinch.

Fresh garlic

1 tsp garlic powder. The flavor is milder and less likely to scorch on the top layer.

Variations

Pizza pull-apart

Add 60 g chopped pepperoni between the layers and serve with warm marinara.

Herb loaf version

Pile the coated balls into a greased 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 in) loaf pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes to the same internal temperature.

Troubleshooting

Center layer is doughy

The ring was underbaked. Check that the thickest part reaches 88°C (190°F), and bake on a lower rack so the bottom gets more heat.

Bread stuck in the pan

The pan was not greased thoroughly or the cheese cooled too long. Brush every crease with butter and unmold after 10 minutes.

Top cheese burned

Exposed cheese browns fast. Tent with foil after 20 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking, wrapped, and eat within 3 days. Reheat wrapped in foil at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Freeze baked leftovers for up to 1 month.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains raw flour and egg and should not be tasted. Do not leave the cheese-filled bread out for more than 2 hours. Contains wheat, milk and egg.