Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
Made to order from fresh pizza dough and baked into a golden personal-sized loaf. Covered in rich garlic butter and loaded with bubbling mozzarella — crispy on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside. The ultimate starter.
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Ingredients
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Dough & Assembly
Garlic Herb Butter
Finishing
Method
Dough & Assembly
Preheat and prep
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Position a rack in the lower-middle third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it. Lightly dust your work surface with the all-purpose flour.
Shape the dough
Weigh or use approximately 10 oz (one personal-sized ball) of room-temperature pizza dough. On the floured surface, gently press and stretch the dough into an 8–9 inch oval, about 1/2 inch thick in the center and slightly thicker at the edges. Avoid overworking to keep it tender.
Fill with cheese
Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella (about 1/2 cup) down the center third of the oval, leaving a 1/2 inch border on each side. Sprinkle the grated parmesan evenly over the mozzarella. Fold one long edge over the cheese, then fold the opposite long edge over to meet it, creating a loose loaf seam on top. Pinch the seams to seal and tuck the ends under slightly so the loaf holds its shape.
Transfer to pan
Place the sealed loaf seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Gently shape into a slightly oblong loaf, smoothing the surface with your fingertips so it will brown evenly.
Garlic Herb Butter
Make garlic butter
In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, combine the unsalted butter and olive oil. Warm gently until butter is melted and warm but not bubbling (about 20–30 seconds in microwave). Stir in the minced garlic, chopped parsley, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 2–3 minutes so the garlic softens and flavors infuse.
Brush before baking
Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the garlic butter for brushing after baking. Using a pastry brush, liberally brush the remaining garlic butter over the top and sides of the assembled loaf, ensuring the seams and edges are coated. This promotes browning and flavor.
Finishing & Bake
Bake
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven on the lower-middle rack. Bake for 12–16 minutes, rotating the pan once at 8 minutes if your oven browns unevenly. The bread is done when the crust is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, and internal cheese is melted and bubbling.
Rest and serve
Let the cheesy garlic bread rest 3–5 minutes on the baking sheet to allow the cheese to settle (this makes slicing easier). Slice into 4–6 pieces and serve warm as a starter or alongside salads/pasta.