After coming up with my Gluten Free Dinner Roll recipe for a dear friend for a Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago, it became pretty clear I could get creative with the recipe! This gluten free pull apart bread is just one of the tasty recipes I’ve come up with. I’ve dropped a few links after the recipe card, so please check them out!
The roasted garlic is not necessary (c’mon though, give it a try) but makes garlic so much milder with an amazing nuttiness. Beyond the roasted garlic, want to know one of the best parts about this gluten free pull apart bread recipe? It’s that cutting and stacking the dough is so easy and creates such a fun eating experience. What is not to love about warm garlic infused bread that pulls apart that you can share with guests?! Gather them around, along with a stack of napkins and dive in!
What Makes This gluten free Pull-Apart Bread So Special
As we all know, there’s just something about a warm loaf of bread that pulls apart at the table that just makes people happy. Add roasted garlic butter tucked into every single layer and you have something that is genuinely show stopping. My Gluten Free Dinner Roll dough can handle the rolling, cutting and stacking for this gluten free pull apart bread. It’s pliable, forgiving, and holds all that garlicky goodness in between each layer perfectly. I promise that if you show up to a dinner party with this beauty, you’ll certainly be asked back and I it takes far less effort than it appears, so work it into your dinner plan rotation!
Starting with the Dinner Roll Dough
You Only Need Three-Quarters of a Batch
One full batch of the Gluten Free Dinner Roll dough makes more than you need for an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan, which is actually a bonus. Use three-quarters of the dough for the pull-apart bread and shape the remaining quarter into 6 or 7 standard dinner rolls to bake alongside it. Same oven, same temperature – you get a gorgeous loaf and a side of rolls. Not a bad deal.
The Roasted Garlic Filling
Why Roasted Garlic Makes All the Difference
You can absolutely use garlic powder (not garlic salt) or finely chopped raw garlic here and it will still be delicious. However if you have the time, roasting that garlic is worth every extra minute. Roasting transforms it into something mellow, buttery, and nutty – the associated heat you can get with raw garlic completely disappears and what you get is this deep, sweet garlic flavor that soaks into every layer of the bread. To roast a head: slice off the top, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F for 40 to 45 minutes. Squeeze out the soft cloves, mash, and you are ready to go.
Butter, Basil, and Beyond
The filling is roasted garlic paste mixed into soft salted butter with fresh basil and a pinch of sea salt. It spreads beautifully over the rolled dough and stays put as you cut and stack. Ghee and vegan butter are both great subs here. Feel free to swap the basil for whatever fresh herb you have – rosemary, thyme, or parsley would all be wonderful here.
How to build this gluten free pull apart bread:
Cutting, Stacking, and Loading the Pan
Once the filling is spread to the edges, a pizza cutter makes quick work of cutting the dough into 3-inch squares. Stack the squares in sets of three, then stand each stack vertically in your parchment-lined 8″ x 4″ loaf pan. Fill the pan from one end to the other and you will have a loaf that fans open beautifully as it bakes. Wipe the pizza cutter off in between cuts for clean edges and do not stress if the squares are not perfectly uniform, it all bakes together into one gorgeous loaf.
When to Serve It and What to Serve It With
This bread is best warm, straight from the pan. Pull it apart at the table and watch it disappear. It is a natural alongside pasta, soup, or a big salad – but it is also completely at home as an appetizer with nothing but a little extra butter on the side. A sprinkle of parmesan over the top before baking adds a golden, slightly crispy finish that takes it one step further if you want to go all in.
Gluten Free Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
1 whole batch Gluten Free Dinner Roll dough(you will use 3/4 of the dough for the loaf)
- filling
1/2 cup Salted Butter, room temperature and very soft (can sub ghee or vegan butter)
1 Tbsp Roasted Garlic Paste* (can sub 2 tsp garlic powder or raw garlic finely chopped)
2-3 tsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped (or herb of choice)
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- optional finish
1 whole Egg plus 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, shredded (optional)
Directions
- Prepare a standard 8×4 inch loaf pan by lining with parchment paper.
- Make my GF Dinner Roll recipe as directed. You will use 3/4 of the dough for the loaf (use remaining dough for 6-7 standard dinner rolls).
- Place dough on a lightly dusted piece of parchment paper and roll into a rectangle approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Spread evenly over the dough to each edge.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut dough into 3 inch squares, wiping the blade after each cut.
- Gently stack dough squares in sets of three and place vertically in the prepared loaf pan. Repeat until all dough is used and the pan is full.
- Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm spot for approximately 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using.
- Bake 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool 5 minutes in the pan then remove using the parchment. Best enjoyed warm – pull apart to eat!
Notes
- Roasting garlic makes it much milder with a gorgeous nuttiness – worth the extra step! To roast garlic: cut the top off a whole head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400F for 40-45 minutes. Squeeze out the soft cloves and mash. Use the remaining 1/4 of the dough to make 6-7 standard dinner rolls alongside the loaf!
