This simple, but oh so flavorful, loaf of Pull Apart Bread is a frozen loaf of Rhodes bread dough that’s infused with a savory garlic herb butter. Plus it bakes up beautifully golden brown and fills your home with the smell that freshly baked homemade bread recipes do, without the hassle of making dough from scratch!
There is almost nothing better than when the house smells of freshly baked bread. Chocolate chip cookies come in close, but bread still wins. This Pull Apart Bread Recipe makes that smell easy to achieve because it is made with a frozen loaf of Rhodes bread dough.
This bread is not your average pull apart loaf. Most of them require homemade bread by way of a dough hook and knowing all about yeast, but luckily not this one. Think of this as a version of savory monkey bread, but with slices instead of dough pieces.
We love easy recipes with frozen dough, like these Frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls that bake frozen yeast rolls and a butter mixture in a cast iron skillet to get the most delicious rolls. This monkey bread (cinnamon pull-apart bread) is baked in a bundt pan with Rhodes rolls instead of biscuit dough. It's divine! Look here for all our bread recipes! Or serve it for the holidays with our other Easter recipes and Thanksgiving recipes!
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Why this recipe is great
- It’s easy. There is no kneading of dough or rolling out. Just a pair of scissors and a thawed loaf of dough.
- It’s versatile. Try flavoring the butter with all kinds of flavor combinations. For inspiration see these savory compound butters.
This bread is SO full of flavor, it is amazing. Making it again today with lasagna.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lori
Ingredients for pull apart bread
Four simple ingredients are all you need for this great recipe.
- Rhodes frozen bread dough: This is the brand we use, specifically the Rhodes Bake-n-Serve white bread dough. This isn't sponsored, just the brand we actually use.
- Butter: Preferably salted butter, but if you only have unsalted just add a pinch of salt to the butter mixture.
- Garlic: Finely minced fresh garlic is the best. Garlic powder can be used but is not preferred.
- Herbs: So many options here! Rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, chives. For a good variety without needing to buy too many herbs, try getting the poultry seasoning in the produce department of the grocery store. It has a little bit of everything!
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make pull apart bread
The only equipment you need for this recipe is a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (affiliate).
First, spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Place frozen bread loaf in the pan covering the raw dough with a piece of plastic wrap that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Put in a warm place for about 3 hours. The actual time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
Once the dough has thawed and rises to fill a third of the pan it is time for the next step.
Combine butter, garlic, and herbs together in a small bowl until well mixed. Use a clean pair of scissors to make cuts three fourths of the way down the loaf at 1 inch intervals. Fill each slit with 1 teaspoon of butter. Spread the remaining butter across the top. Cover again with the piece of plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Allow to rise for another 1.5 hours. It should be just below the top of the pan.
Place bread loaf in the center of the oven and bake bread at 350º for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 15-20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Brush with an additional 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with salt and fresh herbs if desired.
This is the best bread as a side dish to any grilled meat, Italian, or chicken dish.
Variations
Next time try a cheesy garlic pull-apart bread option with any of these types of cheese. Mix in a quarter to a third a cup of:
- cheddar cheese
- parmesan cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- mozzarella cheese
For a crowd
This is an easy and tasty bread to bake for a large group. Just be sure not to overcrowd the oven and rotate the position of the loaves within the oven halfway through the cooking time. I would only cook 4 loaves at a time in a standard oven.
FAQs
Either quick thaw method does work but runs the risk of the dough rising too much and then falling in on itself.
To thaw bread dough even faster than the instructions, turn the oven on to 175 degrees and once it reaches temperature immediately turn it off. Place the pan with the covered loaf of dough in and close the door. Allow the bread to rise for approximately an hour and a half.
For an alternative speed thaw method, place frozen bread dough in the oven. Place a pan of hot water underneath and close the oven door. The heat from the water will help the dough thaw faster.
Rhodes bread dough takes approximately 20-25 minutes to bake at 350 degrees.
Tips and tricks
- Coat loaf pan generously with non-stick spray.
- Don’t let the bread rise too much in either step. If it rises too high it will fall in on itself which results in a final product that is more dense.
- Brush the final product with additional melted butter and sprinkle with fresh herbs and salt for a truly spectacular finished loaf.
- I found the best way to get the butter in between the slices is to make one cut then add the butter immediately. If you make slices across the whole loaf they will stick together by the time you try to add the butter.
Other great recipes
- Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Dinner - An easy one pan dinner of chicken, green beans and potatoes.
- Fall Apart Pot Roast - A magic slow cooker recipe that goes perfectly with this savory pull apart bread.
- Simple Chicken Piccata with Artichokes - A 30 minute dinner full of flavor!
- Honey Beer Bread - 6 ingredients, a loaf pan, and a bowl. That's all you need!
- Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls - Delicious and easy, with less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep!
- Cheddar Biscuits with Hot Honey - The perfect balance between sweet and spicy and only 30 minutes!
- How To Brown Butter In the Microwave - This easy step-by-step guide holds all the tips for making quality brown butter in just 5 minutes!
Recipe
Pull Apart Bread (Using Rhodes Bread Dough!)
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan 9 x 5
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Rhodes bread dough
- ½ cup butter softened, preferably salted
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped (Our favorite combination is equal amounts of rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage)
Instructions
- Spray loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Place frozen loaf in a pan. Cover with plastic wrap being sure to spray the side closest to the bread with nonstick spray. Allow bread to rise in warm spot for 3 hours. *The length of this step might vary if your room is extra cold or warm. Watch for the loaf to fill a third of the pan. See pictures in post.1 loaf Rhodes bread dough
- Make the savory butter by mixing the butter, garlic, and herbs together until well combined.½ cup butter, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs
- Once the bread is thawed and fills the bottom third of the pan, using a clean pair of kitchen scissors, cut 1 slit into the loaf going about three-fourths of the way down. Immediately fill slit with 1 teaspoon of butter mixture. Repeat with slits every inch. Spread the remaining butter across the top. Allow to rise for another 1.5 hours.
- Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Brush with an additional 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with salt and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Coat loaf pan generously with non-stick spray.
- Don’t let the bread rise too much in either step. If it rises too much it will fall in on itself which results in a final product that is more dense.
- Brush the final product with additional melted butter and sprinkle with fresh herbs and salt for a truly spectacular finished loaf.
- I found the best way to get the butter in between the slices is to make one cut then add the butter immediately. If you make slices across the whole loaf they will stick together by the time you try to add the butter.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Kris says
I don’t have fresh herbs, can I use dried herbs?
Misty says
Hi Kris! Fresh herbs are going to be a lot more flavorful, however you're welcome to try dried herbs instead. I would use about 1 tsp of dried. We'd love to hear how it turns out!
Bonnie says
I have made this bread 2 times...another is baking right now. Follow instructions just like it says. This is FANTASTIC BREAD!!! Thank you!!
Bonnie says
Making it now to go with Lasagna for friends. YIPEEEE!
Danielle says
So very happy to hear how much you love it! Thanks for taking time to let us know! That really makes our day!
Danielle says
Your friends are lucky! Haha! Enjoy!
JANA says
Absolutely delicious!! Crowd pleaser! Will make again!
Misty says
That makes us so happy to hear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lori says
This bread is SO full of flavor, it is amazing. Making it again today with lasagna.
Misty says
So glad! Thanks for sharing with us!
MareG says
Oh so yummy! I fell asleep and the dough rose above the rim of the loaf pan, but it still turned out perfect. So flaky and light and filled with garlic butter. The entire loaf was devoured in no time. We loved it and will definitely make again and again
Danielle says
Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know!
Patricia gonzalez says
I really enjoy Rhodes bread dough loaves. It’s so easy and really good bread especially for toast and french toast is wow!. I always bake 2-3 loaves, 2 for my house and one to give to son. Just saw the recipe for pull apart bread, going to make it next week! Thanks for such a great bread. The only bread I’ll eat now.
Misty says
It sure is a great shortcut when you want fresh loaves of bread. Hope you love the pull apart loaf!