Garlic Rosemary Pull Apart Bread

Take garlic bread to the next level! This pull apart loaf is full of layers of buttery, garlic and rosemary goodness! Made with my White Homemade Sandwich Bread, you’ll love this rich and fluffy loaf!

Why you’ll love this Garlic Rosemary Bread

This is not your ordinary garlic bread. Baked in a loaf pan, the easy pull apart layers make it the perfect side to any meal. Serve it fresh out of the oven, let everyone pull off their own piece to enjoy.

This bread bakes up so light and fluffy, and it tastes absolutely incredible!

This recipe makes two loaves. If you’d only like one garlic bread loaf, you can simply make the second one a plain sandwich loaf. Check my Best Homemade White Sandwich Bread post for instructions on shaping and baking. You’ll also find more details there about making this dough.

If you do decide to make one loaf plain, be sure to cut the filling measurements in half.

Using the Tangzhong method

This bread incorporates the Tangzhong method.

Tangzhong is an Asian baking technique which has origins from Japan’s yukone (or Yudane). It’s the simple method of cooking a portion of the flour and liquid from the recipe to create a thick mixture or slurry. After cooled, it is added to the recipe.

Why use Tangzhong in yeast doughs? This method pre-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, meaning it can absorb more water. In fact, flour will absorb twice as much hot water or milk as it does the cool/lukewarm water or milk you’d usually use in yeast dough.

Since heating the starch with water creates structure, it’s able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. Which means a few things:

• The dough is less sticky and easier to work with.
• Your bread will rise higher – more retained water creates more steam when baking. Which, in turn, yields a loaf that will rise more when baked.
• Since your bread is retaining more water, it will be more moist and stay fresher longer!

You’ll really love the results you get from using the Tangzhong method in this bread! You’ll be amazed at how it stays so fresh and soft for several days.

Steps for making garlic rosemary pull apart bread

1. Make the Tangzhong mixture and set aside to slightly cool.
2. Mix the dough.
3. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes. While it’s rising, make the filling.
4. Divide dough into two pieces and roll each out to a rectangle.
5. Spread the filling on top of the dough.
6. Cut the dough into 12, 4-inch squares. Fold each square in half and place side-by-side in loaf pan.
7. Cover and let rise one last time, about 45 minutes. While it’s rising, preheat the oven.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
9. After removing from the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle on sea salt flakes.
10. Let cool about 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

How to make the bread dough

Since this is a soft, enriched dough, you’ll need some type of a stand mixer to make this recipe. There are important cues to look for when making this dough.

1. First make the tangzhong mixture and give it some time to cool down before adding it to the dough. If you use it when it’s too hot, it could kill the yeast – which would cause your bread to not rise.
2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the milk, eggs, lukewarm tangzhong and about 1/2 of the flour mixture. On low speed, mix with the dough hook attachment until combined and smooth.
3. While on low speed, gradually add in the second half of the flour mixture until combined. Allow it to mix thoroughly, smoothing out. The dough will be fairly dense at this point.
4. Gradually add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate between each addition. This may take up to five minutes. During the butter addition, the dough will soften and become more elastic. Depending on what type of mixer you are using, the dough might not clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough feels excessively wet, you could add 1-2 Tablespoons more flour, but keep in mind that the dough will come together more as it’s kneaded.
5. Once the butter has been incorporated, knead the dough on a low speed. If. you are using a Bosch mixer, keep it on Speed 1. If you are using a mixer like a KitchenAid, use Speed 2 or 3. If you are using an Ankarsrum or something similar, set the dial in the 2:00 position. Knead the dough until it passes the window pane test. See my White Sandwich Bread post for tips on this technique. Depending on the type of mixer you are using, this could take 10-15 minutes.
6. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with a lid or clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place in your kitchen until it doubles in size. (You can also place the covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before shaping and baking. See the recipe notes for instructions for this option.)
7. Punch the dough down. Turn it onto a lightly floured work surface.

Shaping the garlic rosemary pull apart bread

1. Grease two, standard size loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5-inch pan) with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and deflate. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, each weighing about 525g.
3. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll each piece of bread dough with a rolling pin into a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread the butter mixture on top. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the butter.
4. With a pizza cutter, cut 12 equal pieces (3 rows across and 4 rows lengthwise). Each piece should be 4 inches squared.
5. Fold each piece in half and place them upright in the pan with the folded side down, resting inside the pan. You’ll need to push them close together to fit them all in. Work quickly as this bread dough rises pretty fast.
6. Cover and let rise in size about 50%. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this may take 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven during this final rise time.

Best bread pans to use for homemade bread

There are many different brands of bread pans out there. I’ve used several, and have really come to love the USA bread pans. This recipe will work with standard size loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5-inches).

Baking garlic rosemary bread

This bread will rise quickly. Make sure you are preheating the oven during the second and final rise so that as soon as the bread is ready, the oven is too.

Be sure to place the loaf pans on a baking sheet, as there can be some melted butter that occasionally escapes from the pan. This will keep any butter from dripping onto the bottom of your oven.

Bake until golden on top and the internal temperature reads at least 190°F. Use a digital thermometer like this one to easily read the temperature.

After the bread comes out of the oven, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle on some Maldon sea salt flakes. This gives it incredible flavor! Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool an addition 10 minutes or so before serving. Bread continues to bake internally as it just comes out of the oven, so be patient.

You’ll really love this delicious, flavorful and fluffy bread! It’s perfect for serving alongside your favorite pasta dish. Or slice it up and make a mind-blowing ham or turkey sandwich with it! It’s really one of those recipes you’ll make again and again!

Other recipes you’ll love

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these too:

• Crescent Dinner Rolls
• Basic Sourdough
• Banana Crumble Bread

You might also find this information helpful:

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Garlic Rosemary Pull Apart Bread

Heather Thomas, That Bread Lady

Take garlic bread to the next level! This Garlic Rosemary Pull Apart Bread is full of layers of buttery, garlic and rosemary goodness! Made with my White Homemade Sandwich Bread, you'll love this rich and fluffy loaf! This recipe yields two loaves.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 16 slices

Calories 313 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x

Tangzhong mixture

• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup milk whole or 2%
• 3 Tablespoons bread flour

Dough

• ¾ cup milk whole or 2%, lukewarm ~85°F/30°C
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 4 ¼ cups bread flour ~13%protein
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened

Filling:

• 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 4 teaspoons if using dried rosemary
• 2 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or 4 teaspoons if using dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ½ cup shredded cheese parmesan or mozzarella work great, but use whichever kind you love

Topping:

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes

Instructions

 

Preparation: 

Make the Tangzhong

• Add all the 72ml water, 72ml milk and 23g bread flour to a small saucepan. Before turning on the heat, whisk the ingredients together, smoothing out any lumps of flour. Once combined, place the saucepan on medium low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to a paste-like mixture, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and transfer the tangzhong into a heat-safe bowl. Set aside to cool to a lukewarm temperature, about 85°F/30°C.

Mix the dough:

• To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the tangzhong mixture, milk, sugar, salt, instant yeast, 2 eggs and about half of the flour (2 cups/240g). On low speed, mix with the dough hook attachment until combined and smooth. While on low speed, gradually add the remaining half of the flour (2-1/4 cups/270g). Continue to mix until fully combined. The dough will be thick and slightly dense.
• While on low speed, add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time. Allow butter to fully incorporate between additions. This could take up to 5 minutes. While adding the butter, the dough will begin to smooth out and become softer.
• Knead dough for 10-15 minutes on low speed, until it comes to a full window pane (check blog post for tips on the windowpane test). At this point, the dough should feel very soft and elastic. It will become easier to handle after it rises during bulk fermentation.

Bulk Fermentation:

• Place the dough into a larger, greased bowl. Cover with a plastic bowl cover or clean kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling, except the cheese: the butter, rosemary, parsley, salt and garlic. Set aside.

Shaping: 

• Grease two, standard size loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5-inch pan) with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and deflate. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, each weighing about 525g. This recipe makes 2 loaves.
• With a rolling pin, roll the bread dough into a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread the butter mixture on top. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the butter.
• With a pizza cutter, cut 12 equal pieces (3 rows across and 4 rows lengthwise). Each piece should be 4 inches squared.
• Fold each piece in half and place them upright in the pan with the folded side down, resting inside the pan.
• Cover and let rise in size about 50%. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this may take 30-45 minutes. Adjust the oven rack to the bottom third position. While loaf is rising, preheat oven to 350°F.
• Uncover the bread. Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet and place in oven (the baking sheet will keep any melted butter from dripping on the bottom of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches at least 190°F. Check the bread at around 20 minutes – if it is browning too quickly, lightly cover it with foil and continue baking.
• Remove from oven and immediately brush the top of the loaves with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle sea salt flakes on top. Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. Let cool an additional 15 minutes before enjoying.
• To serve, place on a cutting or bread board and let everyone pull apart their own pieces. It should pull apart easily.
• Store any leftovers in a bread bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days.

Notes

• Make ahead option: Make the dough the night before and place in a large covered bowl. Place in refrigerator and chill overnight (8-12 hours). The next morning, remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 20 minutes before shaping.
• Use any type of cheese and herbs you like! Make it your own!
• Since this recipe makes two loaves, you can use one to make your Garlic Rosemary Bread and make a plain white sandwich loaf with the other. Just be sure to cut the filling measurements in half.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 739mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 597IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 1mg

Keyword pull apart bread, rosemary bread

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