Roasted Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before you start, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the tops off the garlic heads and have the foil ready. Take the butter out of the refrigerator so it softens while the garlic roasts.

Measure the mozzarella and parmesan, and chop the parsley. You'll also want a baking sheet and a small bowl for mixing the butter. The actual hands-on time is short, but the garlic needs 45 minutes to become sweet and tender.

Instructions

Roast and Blend

1. 1Roast the Garlic
   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the tops off the 2 whole heads of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle each with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of the salt. Wrap each head tightly in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the cloves are deeply caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool until handleable.
   Look for The garlic should be soft and golden; the skins will have pulled back from the cloves.
   Tip Roasting the garlic low and slow brings out its natural sweetness and eliminates any harsh bite.
2. 2Make the Garlic Butter
   Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a medium bowl. Add the softened butter, remaining salt, black pepper, chili flakes, minced fresh garlic, and chopped parsley. Mash everything together with a fork until the mixture is well combined and speckled with herbs and garlic.
   Look for The butter should be smooth, fragrant, and flecked with green parsley and red chili.
   Tip Make sure the butter is truly soft so it blends easily without lumps.

The garlic should be deeply caramelized, with a sweet, nutty aroma filling the kitchen. The cloves will have softened into a paste that squeezes out easily. The butter mixture should be smooth, fragrant with garlic and herbs, and speckled with red chili flakes and green parsley.

Slather and Top

3. 3Slather the Bread
   Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices, but leave the bottom crust intact so the slices stay attached. Spread a thick, generous layer of the garlic butter over the cut sides of each slice, pushing it slightly between the slices.
   Look for Every slice should be well coated with butter, edge to edge.
   Tip Use a butter knife or offset spatula to get into the crevices.
4. 4Top with Cheeses
   Evenly scatter the shredded mozzarella over the top of the bread, pressing it gently into the butter. Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the mozzarella.
   Look for The bread should be fully covered with cheese, with some falling between the slices.
   Tip Pressing the cheese lightly helps it adhere and melt evenly.
5. 5Bake Until Bubbling
   Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread are golden. Then switch the oven to broil and broil for 3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbling and blistered in spots.
   Look for The cheese should be bubbly, with browned spots, and the bread edges deeply golden.
   Tip Keep an eye on the broiler—it can go from golden to burnt in seconds.

The baguette slices should be evenly coated with the garlic butter, with some butter pushed between the slices. The mozzarella should cover the top completely, with parmesan scattered over it. The bread should look inviting, with the cheese just starting to melt around the edges as it goes into the oven.

Bake and Pull

6. 6Rest and Serve
   Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet. Use a spatula to transfer to a cutting board. Slice through the crunchy crust with a sharp knife, then pull apart the slices to reveal the gooey cheese pull. Serve hot.
   Look for The cheese should stretch and pull as the slices are separated.
   Tip Letting it rest briefly prevents the cheese from sliding off too quickly.

The cheese should be bubbling and blistered, with golden-brown spots, and the bread edges should be crunchy and deeply golden.

When you pull the slices apart, the cheese should stretch into long, gooey strands, and steam should rise from the roasted garlic. The aroma is intoxicating—garlicky, buttery, and toasty.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is not roasting the garlic long enough—it should be very soft and caramelized, not just lightly golden. Another is overloading the bread with too much butter, which can make it greasy; use a generous but not excessive layer.

When broiling, watch closely because the cheese can burn quickly. Finally, don't skip the resting time after baking, as it helps the cheese set and prevents it from sliding off when you cut the bread.

How to tell it’s done

The bread is done when the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and blistered in spots, and the edges of the baguette are deeply golden and crunchy. If you insert a knife into the center, it should come out hot and the cheese should be molten.

The internal temperature of the bread itself is not critical, but the cheese should be visibly bubbling. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the cheese to set slightly.