Make these buns as guests arrive for a mouthwatering aromatherapy experience, and make sure you enjoy them warm from the oven for the ideal pull-apart experience.
Garlic bread and its variations have been around for centuries, and these familiar flavours should please most guests.
Make-ahead tips for Garlic Cheese Bread and Pull-Apart Buns
You can prepare these buns up to 3 hours in advance and allow them to rise slowly in their well-greased muffin pan, covered, in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature. If refrigerated, allow 30 minutes for the buns tocome to room temperature before baking.
The dough can be made ahead and stored, covered with beeswax or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Allow refrigerated or previously frozen dough to come up to room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes before rolling it out.
What’s the best cheese for garlic bread?
The easy answer is old cheddar cheese because the flavour can stand up to the garlic and it melts perfectly.
Pull-Apart Garlic Cheese Bread
Serve this garlic cheese pull-apart bread when still warm out of the oven. Shredded old cheddar (the best cheese for garlic bread) adds flavour and ultimate melting, cheesiness .
Ingredients
Enriched Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milk warm
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
Garlic Cheese Bread
- 1 batch Enriched Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded old cheddar cheese
Instructions
Enriched Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt and stir on low speed for 1 minute to evenly distribute the yeast. Add the milk, butter, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until no wet flour remains, about 1 minute. Mix on medium-low speed for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the dough has pulled away from the sides and bottom of the bowl and the dough is silky smooth. If after 12 minutes the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix for 3 more minutes on medium-low speed.Lightly grease a large bowl with canola oil.
- Form a ball with the dough, place it in the bowl, and allow it to rise, covered, for 1 hour at room temperature or until it has doubled in size. (If you are using the dough the next day and wish to refrigerate it overnight, allow the dough to rise for only 30 minutes, then place it in the fridge, covered, with room to double in size, for up to 36 hours.)
Garlic Cheese Bread
- Generously grease a 12-cup muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the enriched dough into a 14-inch square. Move the dough around and check underneath it a couple of times to make sure it is not sticking to the work surface, dusting lightly with more flour as needed. Brush any flour off the top of the dough with a dry pastry brush. Let the dough rest on the counter for 5 minutes. If it shrinks while resting, roll it out again to a 14-inch square and let rest again for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, green onions, garlic, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the square of dough into 4 even strips, 14 inches long × 3½ inches wide. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture over the first strip and use the back of the spoon to spread the butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Stack a second strip of dough directly on top of the buttered dough, lining up the edges and pressing down gently. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture over the second strip and use the back of the spoon to spread the butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Stack a third strip of dough and repeat with the melted butter. Stack the final piece of dough on top but do not butter it.
- Cut the stacked dough in half so that you have two rectangles, each 7 inches long × 3½ inches wide. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture over one of the rectangles and use the back of the spoon to spread the butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Stack the second rectangle of dough directly on top of the buttered dough, lining up the edges and pressing down gently. Set aside the remaining butter mixture at room temperature.
- Using a large chef’s knife or a sharp pizza cutter, cut the rectangle into 12 equal pieces, each about 1¾ × 1¼ inches. Place the pieces in the prepared muffin cups with the longer cut side facing up so that you can see the layers of dough. Allow the buns to rise in a warm, humid area for 30 to 45 minutes, or until they increase in size by 50 percent. If the surface of the buns seems to be drying out, lightly spray them with warm water from a spray bottle.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Bake the buns for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they have puffed up and are golden brown around the edges. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the buns and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. While the buns are warm, use a pastry brush to brush a layer of the reserved melted butter mixture over each bun.
Notes
Tips
These buns are best enjoyed warm on the day of baking. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.What is enriched dough?
Enriched doughs contain a higher percentage of fats, sugar, and dairy than lean doughs. They are more tender and fluffier than their lean counterparts and are flexible in both sweet and savoury recipes.Can I make the dough ahead and freeze it?
This dough can be made ahead and stored, covered with beeswax or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Allow refrigerated or previously frozen dough to sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes before rolling it out.
