Sourdough Cheese and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
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This cheesy garlic pull apart bread turns a crusty homemade loaf into a shareable, oven-baked appetizer stuffed with garlic butter and melted cheese. You slice it into pull-apart sections and tuck shredded cheese into the cuts. Bake it until the crust is golden brown while the center stays soft, warm, and full of buttery, garlicky flavor. Each piece pulls away with long, stretchy strands of cheese so it’s hard to stop at one. Serve it as an appetizer or side dish, on its own or with marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tons of Cheesy Goodness: The cheese melts into every crevice and stretches with each pull, giving every bite gooey, rich flavor you’ll crave. After this, you might want to make Sourdough Garlic Cheese Biscuits or Jalapeño and Cheddar Sourdough Bread next.
- Perfect for Sharing: Serve it at game nights, family dinners, potlucks, or casual hangouts. Each piece pulls away with gooey, stretchy cheese, making it easy to grab and satisfying to eat. Want another shareable recipe? Try these sourdough dinner rolls.
- Easy Side Dish: This cheesy garlic bread works as a flavorful side for pasta, soups, chili, or roasted meats like chicken or pork. It also complements casseroles such as baked ziti or mac and cheese. The garlic butter and melted cheese add richness without overpowering the main dish.
- Easy Recipe: You get rich, garlicky flavor and melty cheese without spending hours in the kitchen. Slicing, tucking cheese, and baking turns a simple loaf into a hands-on, satisfying bake. Even first-time bakers can pull it off, and it feels homemade every time because it is.
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Loaf of Bread – I used my homemade sourdough boule for this recipe, but you can save time by buying a dense bread, like sourdough or a crusty French loaf.
- Melty Cheese – Mozzarella cheese and Asiago are my favorite cheese blend for this Sourdough Pull-Apart Cheese Bread, but any combination of melty cheese works. Try sharp cheddar, parmesan, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or other melty varieties.
- Butter – Any butter will do. You can also swap melted butter for oil. I recommend olive oil for the best flavor.
- Parsley – While it’s summer, I love using fresh herbs from the garden however I can. I stuck with parsley here, but you can experiment or use dried parsley.
- Salt – Any salt works, but my favorite is Redmond’s Unrefined Fine Sea Salt for extra minerals.
- Garlic – I highly recommend using fresh garlic for this garlic bread recipe. Mincing a few cloves gives the best garlicky flavor. You can also substitute garlic powder if needed.
How to Make Sourdough Pull-Apart Cheese Bread
- Bake a loaf of my Easy Sourdough Bread. If you don’t have time to make this garlicky bread at home, grab a crusty sourdough loaf from the grocery store.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt. Set it aside.
- With a bread knife, slice the loaf of sourdough bread into 1-inch slices. Be careful not to slice all the way through the bread! You want to keep the bottom of the loaf intact. Then rotate the loaf a quarter turn and cut again to create a grid pattern with diamond shapes.
- With a spoon or pastry brush, spread the garlic herb butter into all the cracks and crevices of the sliced bread. I like to brush the top of the entire loaf with the remaining garlic butter.
- Stuff the slices with plenty of cheese.
- Cover the Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread completely with a piece of foil, place it on a baking sheet, and bake for 15–20 minutes. Then remove the foil from the top and bake for another 5–10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sourdough bread is golden brown.
How to Store
Store leftover Sourdough Cheese Pull-Apart Bread wrapped in foil in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, or until the cheese is melty again. The crust stays crunchy this way.
You can also reheat in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes, or until heated through.
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Use room-temperature butter mixed with minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt. Spread it into the cuts of the bread.
- Tuck shredded cheese into each slice. Cover the loaf with foil and store it in the fridge until ready to bake.
- For gatherings, bake the bread on-site so it is fresh and warm. This works well for a friend’s birthday, a pet’s birthday, or casual hangouts.
FAQs
Do I have to bake my own sourdough loaf?
You don’t have to. A dense store-bought sourdough or crusty French loaf works just fine and saves time.
Can I use other cheeses besides mozzarella and Asiago?
Yes. Any melty cheese like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or parmesan will work. I haven’t tested every combo for this cheesy bread, so results may vary.
Can I swap the butter for oil?
You can use olive oil instead of melted butter. It changes the flavor slightly, but it still gives your loaf richness.
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?
Yes, use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh cloves. Fresh garlic gives the best flavor, though.
Sourdough Cheese and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
Yield: 1 loaf
Experience the ultimate cheesy indulgence with Sourdough Pull-Apart Cheese Bread. This easy-to-make, garlicky masterpiece is covered with melted cheese and garlic butter, creating a mesmerizing pull-apart sensation that's simply irresistible!
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Equipment
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of Sourdough Bread
- 113 grams unsalted butter, melted 8 Tablespoon
- 5 grams salt 3/4 teaspoon
- 4 grams flat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 Tablespoons
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 100 grams mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded 1 cup
- 100 grams asiago cheese, freshly shredded 1 cup
Instructions
- Bake a loaf of my Easy Sourdough Bread or purchase a crusty sourdough loaf from the store. You can do this a day ahead to save time.1 loaf of Sourdough Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt. Set to the side.113 grams unsalted butter, melted, 5 grams salt, 4 grams flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 3 cloves garlic
- With a bread knife, slice the loaf of sourdough bread into 1-inch slices. Be careful not to slice all the way through the bread! You want to keep the bottom of the loaf intact. Then rotate the bread a quarter turn to cut again to create a grid pattern with diamond shapes.
- With a spoon or pastry brush, spread the garlic herb butter in all the cracks and crevices of the sliced bread. I like to brush the top of the entire loaf with the remaining garlic butter.
- Mix the shredded mozzarella and shredded asiago cheese together. Stuff into the bread slices. I recommend shredding your own cheese, rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. This cheese is coated with anti-caking ingredients, which doesn't melt as well as freshly shredded cheese.100 grams mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded, 100 grams asiago cheese, freshly shredded
- Cover the Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread completely with a piece of foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil from the top of the loaf and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sourdough bread is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe card was updated on February 24th, 2026.
Time-Saving Tips
To make Sourdough Cheese Pull-Apart Bread ahead of time, swap the melted butter for room-temperature butter and mix it with the minced garlic, fresh parsley, and salt. Spread that onto the slices of bread and stuff with cheese. Cover the pull apart cheese bread with foil and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Oftentimes, if I’m serving this at a family member’s or friend’s house, I will bake it there for fresh from-the-oven cheesy garlic bread!How to Serve
Sourdough Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread is dynamite served on its own. Pieces of sourdough bread soaked in garlic butter and covered in melty cheese are already a flavor-bomb to be enjoyed! For more delicious flavor, serve this pull-apart cheese bread with a dipping sauce, like homemade ranch, pizza sauce, or even an extra melted butter mixture!How to Store
Store leftover Sourdough Cheese Pull-Apart Bread wrapped in foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese gets all melty again. The crust still stays crunchy this way! Or place in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 2749kcal | Carbohydrates: 244g | Protein: 108g | Fat: 151g | Saturated Fat: 90g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 39g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 390mg | Sodium: 6910mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 4619IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 1975mg | Iron: 19mg
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This looks sooo good! Perfect for dipping in all the fall soups, can’t wait to try it out!
Yes!! This bread and all the soups, yum!
WOW! Yum! I am going to be making some sourdough bread bowls which are ultimately mini loafs and I think it would be fun to make a mini pull apart loaf with one of the bread bowls. This really looks like fun!
I made this cheese bread for an appetizer at Thanksgiving. It was awesome! Going to be making it again for Christmas!
Isn’t it so good? I mean you can’t go wrong with sourdough bread, melty cheese, and garlic butter! I hope it is enjoyed just as much this Christmas. Thank you for sharing.