Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread
A delightful pull-apart bread filled with melted cheese and aromatic garlic, perfect for sharing at parties or as a side dish for dinner.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 loaf 1 crusty loaf (preferably sourdough or Vienna) Use a crusty type of bread for best results.
- 1 cup 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or other melting cheese) Other melting cheeses like Cheddar or Monterey Jack can be used.
- 100 g 100 g / 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter (softened) Ensure butter is softened for easier mixing.
- 2 large 2 large garlic cloves (minced) Minced garlic adds aromatic flavor.
- ¾ tsp 3/4 tsp salt Adjust salt to taste.
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped) Fresh parsley enhances the flavor.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- In a heatproof bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, and salt. Melt this mixture in the microwave.
- Stir the fresh parsley into the melted butter mixture.
- Take the crusty loaf and cut it on a diagonal into 2 cm/1" diamonds, being careful not to cut all the way through the bread.
- Gently pry open each crack in the bread and drizzle a teaspoon of the garlic butter inside. Stuff in a pinch of cheese.
- Brush the surface of the bread with the remaining butter.
Baking
- Wrap the loaf in foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is mostly melted.
- Unwrap and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to get the crust nice and crispy.
Serving
- Serve immediately and enjoy with marinara sauce or your favorite dip.
Notes
This bread is best served warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving again. For extra flavor, add herbs or spices to the butter mixture, or use a mix of cheeses.