Parmesan Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

I don't make a lot of yeast bread. When I do, it's usually on a day where I have nothing to do, what with all the rising and punching down and rising and...well, it's all just very time consuming.

When I do make bread, though, I like to make fun kinds, like cinnamon-raisin bread, or bagels. Or this lovely loaf of cheesy garlic pull-apart bread.

Variations of this recipe have been circling the internet for a while now (I can't wait to try the cinnamon sugar version!), and it looked like a fun recipe to try out. It looks tricky, but it's actually not hard at all! I made a half recipe in a mini loaf pan because we didn't need that much (and the mini loaf is really cute!), but it turns out great in a large loaf pan too.

Isn't it adorable? Also, it really reminds me of this, but maybe that's just me. I have pugs on the brain. What can I say, I'm obsessed. With both pugs and this bread.

Parmesan Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Adapted from Pink Parsley

Makes one loaf

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 pkg. instant dry yeast
• 3 Tbsp. Sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. dried basil, or an Italian herb blend

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes to let the yeast activate. Add the first two cups of flour, and mix to combine. Add the third cup of flour, a little bit at a time, until dough forms. Knead 5-10 minutes, until dough is easy to work with and doesn't stick to the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel, and allow the dough to sit in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down on a lightly floured surface, and let sit for 5 minutes. During this time, you can melt the butter and grate the cheese for the filling.

Roll dough into a 12 x 20 inch rectangle. Brush with the butter, then sprinkle with cheese, herbs, salt and garlic. Cut the dough into six equal strips (cut so the strips are 12 inches long, not 20), and stack the strips on top of each other. Next, cut the strips into 6 equal squares. 

Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan well. Put the loaf pan on its small side so it is standing up, and stack the squares into pan, one on top of the other. Cover with a towel and let rise 30-45 minutes.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (until top is golden brown and bread is cooked through) in an oven heated to 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.