Sourdough Garlic Rosemary Cheesy Pull-Apart Loaf

Golden, buttery, herby, and irresistibly cheesy — this sourdough pull-apart loaf is everything you crave in a savory bake. Each folded layer is brushed with garlic herb butter and loaded with a blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, creating melty pockets of flavor without weighing down the dough. The dough itself is naturally leavened with sourdough, and enriched with milk, egg, and honey for a soft crumb that still holds structure. It’s the kind of showstopper that steals the spotlight on any dinner table — and makes the best leftovers you’ll ever fight over.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

This loaf is a total win on every front: it’s dramatic to look at, insanely satisfying to pull apart, and packed with comfort food flavor. The herbs in the dough add subtle complexity, the cheese gives it that perfect melty bite, and the garlic butter soaks into every fold. It’s a family favorite and a crowd pleaser — and despite looking fancy, it’s shockingly simple to assemble once you’ve done it once.

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Tools You’ll Need:

• Measuring cups and spoons– for measuring ingredients
• Kitchen scale- for accurate measuring
• 2 medium mixing bowls- for garlic butter and cheese blend
• Stand mixer with dough hook- or large mixing bowl for kneading
• Rolling pin (optional)- for flattening dough rounds
• Bench scraper or sharp knife- for cutting dough
• Pastry brush- for brushing butter
• Spatula or frosting knife- for spreading butter
• 9×5” loaf pan- for baking loaf. I love these USA pans linked here https://amzn.to/3FomHf0
• Instant-read thermometer (optional)– to assess doneness

Next, we will gather our ingredients!

Gather Your Ingredients:

• Sourdough starter – Your leavening agent; adds natural rise and tangy complexity.
• Whole milk – Enriches the dough and provides moisture.
• Raw honey – Adds slight sweetness and balances the savoriness and fuels fermentation.
• Granulated white sugar – Helps with browning and adds sweetness.
• Sea salt – Enhances the flavor throughout the dough.
• Unsalted butter, softened – Adds richness and tenderness to the crumb of the dough. Creates the buttery herb filling that creates layers in the loaf.
• Olive oil – Contributes moisture and helps soften the dough.
• Whole egg – Enriches the dough and improves structure.
• Bread flour – High protein for structure and rise. Can be substituted for all-purpose flour, but crumb may be a little less structured and softer.
• Thyme and Rosemary – Adds subtle herbal notes and brings aromatic depth to dough and to herb butter filling.
• Granulated garlic – Infuses flavor directly into the dough and adds savory notes to herb butter.

• Shredded part-skim mozzarella– creates perfect cheesy layers for pulling apart and using a part skim mozzarella cheese helps keep dough light while getting a nice cheese pull.
• Finely-grated Parmesan– adds depth and flavor to cheese filling.

Now let’s bake!

Sourdough Garlic Rosemary Cheesy Pull-Apart Loaf

Dough Ingredients:

• 200g (¾ cup) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 310g (1¼ cups) whole milk, warmed to ~80°F
• 25g (1 tbsp) raw honey
• 30g (2½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 10g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• 57g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 10g (2 tsp) olive oil
• 1 large egg (50g), room temp
• 550g (4¼ cups) bread flour
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp granulated garlic

Garlic Herb Butter:

• 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried rosemary

Cheese Filling:

• 70g (¾ cup) shredded low-moisture mozzarella (you can also blend with half mozzarella and half cheddar)
• 30g (¼ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (for tossing with cheese to avoid sogginess)

Instructions:

1. Mix Your Dough

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, mix your dough. Whisk together milk, sourdough starter, honey, sugar, egg, olive oil until smooth. Add in bread flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, and granulated garlic. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes in a mixer (or 12–15 by hand) until smooth and elastic. Add softened butter in 1-tablespoon pieces, kneading until fully incorporated.

Transfer dough to a greased bowl or container, cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. Let rise at room temp (75–78°F) for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in size.

Overnight fermentation option:

At this point you can choose to refrigerate your dough overnight. Cover and seal with plastic or a lid and transfer to refrigerator overnight. You can choose to skip this step and just go directly to shaping.

2. Make Butter and Cheese Fillings

In a small bowl, mix together softened butter, garlic, salt, and rosemary with a spatula or beaters. Set aside at room temperature.

In another bowl, toss mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese with flour. Set aside.

3. Shaping Your Pull-Apart Loaf

If dough was refrigerated overnight, remove from refrigerator and allow to rest 30 minutes before shaping.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 100g each). Roll or stretch each into a 5-inch circle.

Spread each dough circle with a thin layer (1 tsp roughly) of garlic herb butter. Sprinkle a light layer of the cheese blend (tossed with flour) on top. Fold each disc in half (like a taco), sealing the filling inside. Add another thin layer of the butter and add another very light sprinkle of cheese (1 teaspoon). See below for shaping directions.

Spray a 9×5” loaf pan with cooking oil. Stack the filled, folded dough pieces vertically like cards, slightly staggered. Arrange them into the pan, seam side up or slightly tilted for a layered look. Make sure the top of each piece coated in butter is facing towards you, with the back side (unbuttered) faces the edge of the pan. Make sure both ends have the unbuttered side facing the edge of the pan.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel. Let proof for 2–3 hours, until puffy and nearly reaching the top of the pan.

4. Bake Your Loaf

Preheat oven to 400°F . Sprinkle extra cheese and a pinch of herbs if desired over the top of loaf for a golden cheesy crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, tenting with foil halfway if browning too quickly. This loaf browns quickly on the top, so keep an eye out. Loaf internal temperature should reach 180 F when done, this may take more or less time depending on your oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan when loaf is done cooking.

Melt remaining garlic herb butter and brush over the top 5 minutes after removing loaf form the oven. Let cool slightly, then remove from pan and transfer to a serving platter.

Serve warm!