Hey folks. I want to share one of my favorite dishes with you: Garlic Parmesan pull-apart bread with marinara sauce. So yummy. I was browsing the food section on Pinterest a few days ago and came across a very familiar recipe. I used to make something similar to this ALL the time. You know, because I love the carbs. It takes a little time because the bread is made from scratch, but it’s still pretty simple. And it’s super delicious. 

Start with a basic bread recipe. I use one very similar to the recipe at the end of this post. After you knead the dough, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. Walk away. Let that baby rise for a few hours. 

Is your dough rising or are you just happy to see me?…   I’m sorry. That was a bad joke. Before you punch me down the dough, combine 3/4 cup melted butter, a few cloves of garlic, dried parsley flakes, and a dash of garlic salt. Punch that dough down, tear pieces away, and dip in the delicious butter.

After you have dipped the pieces of bread in the butter mix, place in a greased bundt pan, and sprinkle each layer with Parmesan Cheese. Cover, and let rise for another 30 minutes or so.

Bam. A close-up of the dough. When I was little, I would eat this stuff straight. Uncooked. I was such a little pig. I still am. 🙂 I’m getting off the subject. Once the bread has risen, place in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 25 minutes. I like mine a little doughy and under-cooked, but that’s just me. Serve with some marinara for dipping. Enjoy! 

This is a great appetizer if you are entertaining!

Garlic Parmesan Pull-apart Bread (recipe from The Pastry Affair)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast 
1 1/3 cups barely warm water 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 teaspoons salt 
3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour 
1/4 cup  3/4 cup(trust me) butter, melted 
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside.

Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough (roughly the size of the bowl of a medium spoon), coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.