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Home > Recipes > Breads

Published: Jun 25, 2021 ยท Last Updated On: Mar 7, 2025 by Natasha Minocha

Cheesy Garlic Bread

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What do you call a cheesy garlic bread that oozes bubbling mozzarella on a deeply toasted crust, greedily soaked up in garlicky butter? A sinful, textural monumental moment in bread history that bears repeating again and again.

This bread made an appearance multiple times this week. In fact, I baked two whole loaves of the bread back-to-back in a day. Why? Because apparently, for the kids, it is what food dreams are made of. How? Because itโ€™s that fast. 

I thought my easy everyday bread was the fastest bread I ever baked. But to my delicious shock, the cheesy garlic bread is even quicker โ€“ ready in about 2 hours. The first proof takes just 20 minutes instead of the usual hour. And you donโ€™t have to wait for the bread to cool (the longest and most excruciating minutes ever) before you can dig in. 

Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

How to make cheesy garlic bread?

The base of this dough is very similar to my everyday bread recipe. However, I tweaked it with a bit of help from the wonderful Merry Boosterโ€™s easy cheesy garlic bread and created a whole new playing field in the world of warm, yeasty goodness. 

Ingredients for making Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe
  • Start with mixing lukewarm milk, sugar, and yeast. Set it aside for a few minutes till the mixture is frothy. Remember to check if the yeast is active beforehand (I explain how here).
  • In a separate bowl, mix salt and all-purpose flour. Make a well in the center, and then add the bubbling yeast along with some olive oil.
Combine ingredients for making Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe
  • Bring all the ingredients together in a scraggy mass, turn it over on your floured surface and then knead.
  • This step is crucial because the motion of your hands develops the gluten structure, which forms pockets of air inside and allows the dough to rise. 

Quick tips on kneading dough:

Use this motion for kneading: Begin by pushing the dough away from you, using the heels of your hands. Then fold over half the dough towards you, press down and again push outwards. Turn it sideways and continue with the kneading.

If you get tired: Cover it with a damp napkin, take a 5-minute break and then come back. It takes 8 to 10 minutes of kneading to get a nice, smooth, supple, and elastic dough.  

Too dry or wet dough: Add water one tablespoon at a time if the dough feels dry. In case it is too sticky even after kneading, add more flour. 

Ready dough for making Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Proof the bread dough

  • Place the dough on a Silpat sheet (or baking tray or parchment paper). 
  • Cover it with an upturned bowl, and then let it rest for 20 minutes.
  • Turn it over, punch it down gently, and then knead lightly for a minute. 
  • Roll it into a shape that fits your baking pan. I used an 8-inch pie pan, so the thickness of my dough was about three-quarters of an inch. You can use a 9- or 10-inch round or rectangle tin. In that case, the loaf would be a bit flatter. 
  • Grease and flour your pan so that bread doesnโ€™t stick. Place the dough inside and then, with a sharp knife, score squares on it. The slits you make act as pockets for cheese and garlic butter topping. 
Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe
Ready to bake Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Garlic butter topping

The magic elixir in this bread is butter dripping with garlic and herbs. It takes the bread from zero to 60 in two seconds flat.

  • Mix any herb of your choice in softened butter. My garden is verdant with fresh basil, so I added that along with some chopped thyme.
  • Combine it with minced or grated garlic.
  • Using a knife or pastry brush, apply it liberally (and I genuinely mean copiously) on top of the dough, and inside the slits you made. 
Garlic Herb Butter for Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Baking the cheesy garlic bread

  • Next, insert the cheese into the gashes and then cover with a damp napkin.
  • Let the dough rise once again. Mine was puffy in 20 -25 minutes. 
  • Finally, bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. 
Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Variation of the recipe

Cheese: You donโ€™t need any fancy cheese here. Use whatever hard cheese is available to you, fresh or packaged. Iโ€™ve made the bread a couple of times with mozzarella, cheddar, and a mix of both (as you can see from the final pictures). All of them gave glorious results. My only suggestion is to stick to a cheese that melts nicely. 

Flour: Besides all-purpose flour, I very successfully made a loaf with whole wheat flour. And also with a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose. All of these worked beautifully.

Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Topping: Butter lends the bread a tremendous flavor. It really permeates through every crumb of the loaf. So, I would highly encourage you to use it. But olive oil will work in a pinch. I didnโ€™t, but you can try adding chili flakes to the butter, for a spicy kick.

Herbs: Any herbs, fresh or dried, will work here. Parsley is an excellent option. So are rosemary and fresh oregano. Even cilantro will give you lovely tiny green specs. 

Vegan bread: Use any plant-based milk and butter (or sub it with olive oil) along with vegan cheese. 

Serving the cheesy garlic bread

Youโ€™ll be demolishing the loaf right out of the pan while it is still hot from the oven. The heady aroma of the baking bread makes resistance futile. Soft, fluffy, and incredibly flavorful, the bread beats even a restaurant garlic bread. 

Serve it with soups or salads or for brunch or dinner. The cheesy garlic bread will vanish in a matter of minutes. Itโ€™s that addictive. But, just in case you have leftovers, they can be reheated in the oven or microwaved. 

Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Natasha Minocha
Cheesy Garlic Bread -Soft, fluffy, and incredibly flavorful, the bread beats even a restaurant garlic bread.ย 
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Sea salt
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3/4 cup Milk, lukewarm
  • 1.5 tsp Dried active yeast
  • 1 tsp Sugar

Topping

  • 3 tbsp Butter, softened
  • 3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 tbsp Basil and Thyme, finely chopped Use any fresh herbs of your choice
  • 1/3 cup Cheese, cut into strips You can use mozzarella, or a combination of mozzarella and cheddar

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar with the milk. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  • In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
  • Make a well in the center and add olive oil and the bubbly yeast mixture.
  • Mix well with a fork or your hand till a rough scraggy dough forms.
  • Flour your work surface well, turn out the dough on to it. Use the heels of your hands to push the dough away from you, then fold it over halfway, press it down and push it away again. Turn the dough sideways and repeat this process. Keep turning and kneading until the dough is soft, supple and just a tad sticky. This will take about 10-12 minutes.
  • Alternatively, you can knead your dough in a stand mixer with the hook attachment for 8-10 minutes.
  • Form the dough into a ballย and cover with an upturned bowl for 20 minutes.
  • Lightly grease and flour your baking pan.
  • Knead the dough again for 1 minute. Roll it into a round shape to fit baking pan.
  • With a sharp knife, score squares on it.ย Using a butter knife or pastrybrush, apply the garlic butter liberally on top of the dough,and inside the slits you made.ย 
  • Insert the cheese into the gashes and then cover with a damp napkin until the dough is puffy. Mine was ready in 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven at the highest setting.
  • Bake the bread at 180C for 25-30 minutes or until its golden brown on top.
  • Let the bread rest for 5 minutes, before serving warm. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe has been adapted from Merry Boosters 's delicious blog.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 366mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 217IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Cheesy Garlic Bread | easy Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

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32 shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pratibha j Sharma says

    March 12, 2023 at 1:52 pm

    5 stars
    Most amazing bread I ever made. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      March 15, 2023 at 12:57 pm

      Thank you so much, Pratibha! Really grateful for your love and support.xx

      Reply
  2. Sweta says

    January 27, 2022 at 8:37 pm

    I tried the recipe, it was very nice. Thank you
    Can I make it one day in advance or prepare the dough in advance and bake it the next day. If yes what is the best way to store it? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      January 31, 2022 at 6:19 pm

      Thank you so much, Sweta! This bread does taste the best the day it's made. But you could make it a day before, cool completely, pack in aluminum foil, and reheat in a preheated oven the next day. I haven't tried making the dough a day before. You could make it the evening before and leave it for slow proofing in your refrigerator overnight. The next day, let it come to room temperature before shaping and baking. Hope this helps. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Sarah Sharma says

    July 10, 2021 at 9:35 am

    Hi. The proportion for olive oil isn't mentioned.

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      July 10, 2021 at 10:30 am

      Hi Sarah, thank you for pointing that out. I've fixed the recipe. ????????????

      Reply
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