Some recipes are cooked; this one is performed. A crusty round loaf, cut in a deep cross-hatch, stuffed with garlic butter and as much mozzarella as the cuts will hold, then baked until the cheese melts down into every seam — it arrives at the table as a centerpiece and leaves as a handful of crumbs. Everyone pulls their own pieces, the cheese stretches in long strings, and dinner has not even started yet.
The method is deliberately simple: a good store-bought loaf, ten minutes of patient stuffing, and a foil tent that steams the interior soft before a final uncovered blast crisps the top. It is the side we make for pasta nights, soup nights and game days, and the appetizer that has to be physically moved away from the cook, for quality-control reasons that get out of hand.
Cut deep, but not through
The cross-hatch is the whole architecture of this bread, so take it seriously for the two minutes it takes. Use a long serrated knife and cut diagonally in both directions, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, going down to within 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) of the bottom crust — deep enough to open real pockets for the cheese, shallow enough that the loaf still holds together as one piece. Cutting on a slight angle, undercutting the cubes a fraction, gives you pieces that pull away cleanly at the table instead of tearing the loaf apart.
Foil first, then the blast
The two-stage bake is what separates a great pull-apart loaf from a dry one with a burnt top. Wrapped in foil for the first stretch, the loaf steams gently in its own garlic butter and the cheese melts all the way to the center instead of just on the surface. Unwrapped for the final minutes, the exposed cheese and crust turn golden and crisp at the edges. Skip the foil stage and the outside scorches before the middle ever melts — patience, in the form of foil, is an ingredient here.
Ingredients
- 1 round crusty loaf, sourdough or Italian, about 1 lb (450 g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (113 g)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated (about 12 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (3 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.75 g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (8 g), divided
- 2 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (280 g)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (45 g)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (2 g)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- Warm marinara sauce, for dipping (optional)
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the loaf. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the loaf on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray — the foil becomes the wrapping in a later step, so use a piece big enough to enclose the whole loaf.
- Cut the cross-hatch. With a long serrated knife, cut the loaf diagonally in 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices, stopping 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the bottom crust so the base stays intact. Turn the loaf and repeat in the other direction to form a grid of pull-apart cubes.
- Make the garlic butter. Stir the melted butter, garlic, salt, pepper and half the parsley together in a small bowl. Drizzle it slowly over the loaf, opening the cuts gently with your fingers so the butter runs down into as many seams as possible.
- Stuff with cheese. Toss the mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning together. Working patiently, stuff the cheese mixture down into every cut, pushing it deep with your fingers or a butter knife — this takes a few minutes and it is where the magic is stored. Sprinkle any remaining cheese over the top, plus the red pepper flakes, if using.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Fold the foil up and around the loaf, sealing it loosely. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese inside has melted. Open the foil, fold it back, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp at the edges.
- Rest and pull apart. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes — the cheese goes from molten and runny to molten and pullable. Scatter with the remaining parsley and carry the whole loaf to the table on its tray, with warm marinara for dipping if you like. Serve immediately, straight from the loaf.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 295 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 540 mg |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
Pull-apart bread is a serve-now food — the pull is the point, and it fades as the cheese cools. Leftovers keep for up to 2 days wrapped in foil in the refrigerator; reheat, still wrapped, in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese melts again. The cut, stuffed, unbaked loaf can be assembled up to a day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated — add 5 minutes to the covered bake from cold. Freezing is not recommended.
Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
A crusty loaf stuffed with garlic butter and mozzarella, baked until every pull is cheesy.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep — it is the easiest way to never miss one mid-recipe.
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the loaf. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the loaf on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray — the foil becomes the wrapping in a later step, so use a piece big enough to enclose the whole loaf.
- Cut the cross-hatch. With a long serrated knife, cut the loaf diagonally in 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices, stopping 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the bottom crust so the base stays intact. Turn the loaf and repeat in the other direction to form a grid of pull-apart cubes.
- Make the garlic butter. Stir the melted butter, garlic, salt, pepper and half the parsley together in a small bowl. Drizzle it slowly over the loaf, opening the cuts gently with your fingers so the butter runs down into as many seams as possible.
- Stuff with cheese. Toss the mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning together. Working patiently, stuff the cheese mixture down into every cut, pushing it deep with your fingers or a butter knife — this takes a few minutes and it is where the magic is stored. Sprinkle any remaining cheese over the top, plus the red pepper flakes, if using.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Fold the foil up and around the loaf, sealing it loosely. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese inside has melted. Open the foil, fold it back, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp at the edges.
- Rest and pull apart. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes — the cheese goes from molten and runny to molten and pullable. Scatter with the remaining parsley and carry the whole loaf to the table on its tray, with warm marinara for dipping if you like. Serve immediately, straight from the loaf.
Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
