This fun pull-apart bread with is the perfect complement to any meal with its flaky layers and cheesy Italian herb filling.
Okay, so I know Thanksgiving is coming up. And I love Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays, actually. Stuffing, turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans….I love it all.
However, I also love carbs. And cheese. And homemade bread. So bear with me during this little detour away from all things pumpkin and sage.
Italian herb and cheese pull-apart bread is super fun to eat. You pull the flaky layers back to find the hidden gooey cheese and flavorful herbs. It’s melty cheese swathed between soft, tender blankets of bread.
This pull apart bread with Italian herbs and spices (and gooey cheese) is the perfect accompaniment to Instant Pot minestrone soup or green lentils with sweet potato and kale. Or try it with Italian sausage stew with white beans and kale. Actually, it’s good with pretty much anything.
It might seem intimidating to make, especially if you’re new to baking with yeast, but you can handle this. Believe me!
My loaf kind of spilled over the edges of the pan. Which makes me strangely giddy because I’m always afraid my bread isn’t going to rise properly. Plus I think it makes this loaf extra fun. Certainly it looks homemade.
Please give this bread recipe a try. It’s so delicious!
Try to refrain from eating half the loaf before dinner. It’s so tempting! We had my in-laws over, and while I was in the kitchen finishing up last minute dinner prep, I kept sneaking bites of this bread. Although, I wasn’t too sneaky. My mother-in-law kept catching me in the act.
More yeast breads
If you love bread and who doesn’t, you’ll want to give these other yeast bread recipes a try:
- Parker House Rolls — make your own classic dinner roll!
- Dutch Oven Bread (no knead!)
- Naan Recipe
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Vanilla Bean Whipped Butter
- Cranberry Walnut Bread with Oats
- Flatbread Recipe
Italian Herb and Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (1 package)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add flour, sugar, yeast, salt, thyme, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of basil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix gently until combined. With the mixer on low and the dough hook attached, add olive oil, milk, and warm water. Mix on medium-low speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball.
- Transfer dough into a greased bowl and cover with a lint-free towel. Place in a warm location until doubled in size, or about 1 hour.
- Roll out dough into a rectangle about 12×20-inches in size. Brush with 3 tablespoons of the melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of dried basil, and all the cheese.
- Cut into 6 equal strips (going along the long side of the rectangle so your strips are about 12 inches long). Stack strips on top of each other and cut into six stacks. Carefully transfer these squares into a greased 10-inch loaf pan (so that they are standing up). Cover loosely and let rise again for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. After it has risen, drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter over loaf. Bake for 35 minutes. Tent with foil if the top of the bread is browning too quickly. I covered mine with foil for about the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Enjoy warm. Serves 1. Kidding. Kind of.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
You didn’t give the quantity of warm water
It’s included in the recipe – 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
I made a double batch tonight. It made 3 loaves. Instead of stacking the slices, I made it into a Babka loaf. Turned out amazing! Only wish I wouldn’t have used quite so much butter.
Oh yum! I love that! So glad you liked this one – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Nice bread, thanks for your long detail tips, I want to use a bread machine to make it,can I?
You could make the dough in a bread machine but you have to make the layers by hand. :)
Bread… If there was one food on this earth that I couldn’t live without, that would be bread. I have Zojirushi bread machine and I love try different recipe with it. This is the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever come across and it is better than store-bought…I will try it and will share my opinions. Certainly it will be perfect.
Can you make this by hand rather than with a stand mixer? I’ve been making 5-minute artisan bread by hand and am a baking newbie, so have not yet invested in something like a mixer yet.
Yes! Absolutely.
I love pull-apart breads, but have never made a savory version! This looks so great Rachel! I will be pinning for future reference!
I am a bit confused. Once you have the 6 pieces stacked, I am to cut them into 6 pieces? There are 36 total pieces correct?
Yes! Six slices first, then you stack those up, and slice again into 6 slices. So you end up with six stacks but 36 total pieces. Hope that helps!
I love pull apart breads and all the cheese in this is just wonderful. Thanksgiving always calls for bread so this is perfect for the season!!
You are absolutely killing me with this ooey gooey cheesy bread! Looks like magic!
We are totally into having a huge carbfest at our family Thanksgivings and it’s all the better if it’s Italian-infused! Although…if I make this loaf it might not actually make it Thanksgiving with all the snacking on it I’ll be doing. Best make two.