Description
Make Cheesy Pull‑Apart Garlic Bread with tangzhong, roasted garlic butter & mozzarella—a soft, pull‑apart loaf packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Tangzhong (Water‑Flour Paste):
- 20 g bread flour
- 80 g whole milk
Main Dough:
- 300 g bread flour
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 6 g sea salt
- 6 g instant dry yeast
- All the tangzhong
- 90 g whole milk, room temperature (≈ 77°F / 25°C)
- 40 g full‑fat cream cheese, softened
- 50 g egg (1 medium egg)
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Roasted Garlic Butter:
- 1 head of garlic
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Toppings:
- 100 g grated mozzarella or other good melting cheese
- A little extra mozzarella for garnish or extra pull‑apart stretch
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong
In a small saucepan, whisk together the 20 g bread flour and 80 g whole milk until no lumps remain. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a paste‑like consistency (about when it forms lines in the pan and holds somewhat, around 65°C / 150‑160°F). Remove from heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature. - Prepare roasted garlic butter
Preheat oven to about 200°C / 400°F. Slice the top off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast until soft and golden (≈ 30‑35 minutes). When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl. Mash them, then mix with unsalted butter, chopped parsley, pepper, and sea salt. Set aside to cool and firm slightly. - Make the main dough
In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with dough hook), combine the 300 g bread flour, sugar, sea salt, and yeast. Add cooled tangzhong, 90 g room‑temperature milk, softened cream cheese, egg, and softened butter. Mix until everything comes together and dough is smooth and elastic (≈ 8‑10 minutes by mixer or a little more by hand). The dough should be slightly tacky but not overly sticky; adjust with small flour or milk additions if needed. - First rise
Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap or damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until approximately doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on room temperature. - Shape for pull‑apart
Once doubled, punch down the dough gently to release air. Roll or press into a rectangle (roughly 30×20 cm or appropriate for your loaf pan). Spread a generous portion of the roasted garlic butter over the surface. Then cut into strips or squares (depending on loaf pan: e.g. several vertical strips if using a pull‑apart loaf pan). Stack or layer the pieces so they are spaced slightly apart, then place in your loaf pan or arrange on a baking sheet if free‑form. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella between layers or on top, reserving a little for garnish. - Second rise
Cover shaped loaf/book of strips and let rise again until puffy, nearly double (≈ 30‑45 minutes). - Preheat oven and egg wash
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg + water for the egg wash. Brush the top of the loaf gently. - Bake
Bake for about 25‑35 minutes, until the top is golden brown, cheese melted & bubbly, and internal temperature of loaf reaches about 190‑200°F (≈ 88‑93°C). If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil for final 5‑10 minutes. - Cool slightly and serve
Remove from oven, let rest for 5‑10 minutes so structure sets (cheese and butter settle, not runny). Then pull apart pieces and serve warm.
Notes
Use room‑temperature ingredients (milk, egg, butter) for even mixing and better texture.
Let tangzhong cool sufficiently before adding to dough—or it may activate yeast prematurely or cook the cream cheese.
On the roasted garlic: roasting until very soft ensures it spreads smoothly; avoid burning which gives bitterness.
Don’t over‑flour the work surface when shaping to avoid dry crusts.
Layer cheese inside and on top for both interior pull‑apart stretchiness and cheesy crust.
If loaf top gets too brown early, tent loosely with foil.
For easier pull‑apart, cut strips deep enough so bread layers separate but not so thin that they collapse.
Keywords: Cheesy Pull‑Apart Garlic Bread