Jul 14 2026
RestaurantsPittsburgh Blue SteakhouseWarm Pull Apart Rolls Recipe

Warm Pull Apart Rolls Recipe

Time2h
Serves8

with garlic butter

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Ingredients

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Dough

Method

Dough

  1. 1

    Mix dry ingredients

    In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp instant yeast, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk briefly to distribute.

  2. 2

    Combine wet ingredients

    Warm 1 cup milk to about 105–115°F (warm to the touch). In a small bowl or measuring cup, beat 1 large egg and stir in 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter. Add the warm milk to the egg-butter mixture and mix.

  3. 3

    Form dough

    With mixer on low, pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until a rough dough forms, then increase speed to medium-low and knead with the dough hook for 6–8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. If mixing by hand, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes.

  4. 4

    First rise

    Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled, about 60–75 minutes.

Garlic Butter & Assembly

  1. 5

    Prepare garlic butter

    While the dough rises, make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter, 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional), 1/2 tsp coarse salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Mix until smooth and set aside. Reserve 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing after baking.

  2. 6

    Shape rolls

    After the dough has doubled, punch it down gently and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a roughly 12x16-inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch thick). Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the rectangle into 12 equal squares (about 4x4 inches each).

  3. 7

    Fill and stack

    Spread about 1/2 tsp of the garlic butter over each square (you should have a small amount of butter left — reserve for brushing/finishing). Stack the squares in groups of 3 (so you’ll have four stacks of three) or place them singly depending on pan size. For pull-apart rolls in a round loaf, stack all 12 squares into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. For classic pull-apart rolls, place stacks upright in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, leaving a little space to expand.

  4. 8

    Second rise

    Cover the assembled rolls loosely with greased plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for 25–35 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled.

  5. 9

    Preheat oven & egg wash

    While rolls do the second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp water to make egg wash. Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with the egg wash for a glossy finish.

  6. 10

    Bake

    Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, until golden brown on top and an internal temperature of about 190–200°F (88–93°C) when measured in the center. If tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5–7 minutes.

  7. 11

    Finish with butter

    Remove from oven and immediately brush the tops with the reserved 1 tbsp melted butter and, if desired, an additional 1–2 tbsp of the prepared garlic butter for extra flavor. Sprinkle a little extra chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky sea salt over the warm rolls.

  8. 12

    Serve

    Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes so they’re easy to pull apart, then serve warm. Pull apart pieces and enjoy with additional garlic butter on the side if desired.

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