Sourdough Cheesy Pull Apart Bread

If you like cheese and pull apart bread, this sourdough cheesy pull apart bread recipe will be your new favorite. Melty mozzarella cheese is wrapped inside fluffy pizza dough and topped with garlic butter. This is a great sourdough appetizer to share with family and friends!

It is no secret our family loves all things sourdough and dairy. When it comes to a good shareable appetizer, these two items are likely on the menu! And better yet if combined into one dish.

We also love items where everyone can take a piece of the appetizer and put it on their plate without having to cut anything before serving. Of all sourdough recipes, this is the second most requested appetizer in our family. (Sourdough pretzel bites come in first).

This recipe checks all the boxes as it is basically shareable cheesy garlic bread. The fluffy bread with melty cheese and a garlic butter provide powerful flavor in each and every bite.

One of our favorite parts of this recipe is the ability to customize the flavor, dipping sauce and the scale of this recipe. It makes it easy to serve a crowd with minimal prep. Hello – game day anyone?

This recipe is simple to make and has great presentation, it also reheats well the next day if you have leftovers.

We recently enjoyed this sourdough cheesy pull apart bread with lasagna and then with steak dinner the following evening. The options are endless!

Kitchen Equipment 

There are a few pieces of kitchen equipment which make this recipe easy.

• Bundt Pan
  • Can use a baking sheet or 8×8 pan and make your own design / shape. Some people like making a sourdough pull apart tree or sourdough pull apart wreath.
• Large Bowl
• Small serving dish / ramekin (for dipping sauce)

Ingredients for Sourdough Cheesy Pull Apart Bread

There are three main ‘steps’ to make a sourdough cheesy pull apart bread, requiring different ingredients: mozzarella balls / pizza dough, garlic butter and dipping sauce.

There are three main parts to this sourdough cheesy pull apart bread:  sourdough pizza dough, garlic butter and a dipping sauce.

The pizza dough is the perfect texture to wrap the mozzarella sticks in. The melted garlic butter brings flavor and moisture to each bite after baking in the oven. A dipping sauce allows this dish to spread even further when enjoyed by a crowd.

Sourdough Cheese bites 

• Sourdough pizza crust – select your favorite crust to wrap the morels sticks in. We love this whole wheat sourdough pizza crust and this simple sourdough pizza crust. Our pizza crust has a few simple ingredients:
  • Whole wheat flour
    • Our family loves this recipe for a sourdough whole wheat flour crust (100% whole wheat!)
  • All purpose flour
  • Sourdough starter
    • Can use active starter or sourdough discard
  • Salt
  • Water
    • Olive oil (Butter or avocado oil would be a good substitute)

• Mozzarella cheese sticks (or cheese alternative)
  • In our opinion, the best cheese for this recipe is mozzarella. It truly makes the best cheesy pull-apart bread as it does not melt into the dough.
    • The best mozzarella cheese sticks are made with full fat. If reduced fat is the only kind available, opt for the highest fat to ensure stringy cheese when pulled apart 
  • Any melty types of cheese can be substituted here (Gruyère, Gouda, Brie, fontina, cream cheese, goat cheese, cheddar cheese). Refrain from using shredded cheese as it will melt into the dough balls. Use different flavor cheeses together for a fun combination.

Garlic butter – A butter mixture which is spread over the sourdough cheesy pull apart bread once it is baked

• Unsalted butter
• Garlic powder 
• Flaky salt
• Herbs (Fresh or dried)
  • If you have herbs like fresh parsley, sage or oregano, all would be great options for the top of the bread.

Dipping sauce

• Marinara sauce or pizza sauce
• Ranch Dressing
• Artichoke dip
• Smoked pizza dip
• Buffalo chicken dip

How to make savory sourdough pull apart bread

To begin, start by making a sourdough pizza crust. Follow the instructions, through a bulk ferment, and allow the dough to come together.

While the sourdough pizza dough is fermenting, freeze the mozzarella cheese sticks. Ensure the cheese sticks are frozen up to an hour prior to preparing the dish.

About an hour before you are ready to bake, cut the pizza dough. If within the fridge, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes on the countertop if there is spring.

Cut the sourdough pizza dough into 40 pieces using a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Remove the mozzarella sticks from the freezer before peeling and cutting into 1/2 inch pieces.

Wrap each mozzarella stick inside the flattened dough ball. Roll in your hands to seal the edges of the dough ball.

Coat the Bundt pan with olive oil. Place the sourdough cheese bread balls into the Bundt pan. 

Start making a circle with the sourdough bread balls. Once completed, add another row in the gaps, creating circles until you run out of dough balls.

Allow to proof on the countertop until the dough has reached two times the size. Because of this, the dough will become less tacky as it sits. A skin may develop on the outside of the bread as it proofs.

Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place the Bundt pan into the oven and bake until golden brown.

This can take 15-20 minutes. The mozzarella may pop out of some of the dough balls as if bakes.

Once baked, remove from the oven. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes before placing a pan large enough to cover the perimeter of the Bundt cake.

Once placed on the top, grab the sides of the Bundt pan with hot pads and flip the sheet pan over, shaking it slightly. Because of this movement, it should be easy to invert and remove from the pan.

In a small bowl or small saucepan, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic powder and any additional spices to make a garlic herb butter. 

Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter mixture overtop of the sourdough cheesy pull apart bread. Ensure each piece has butter for additional moisture. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, parsley and parmesan cheese if desired. 

If enjoying with a dip, place it in a bowl the size of the middle of the Bundt pan. Serve the dip with a spoon and enjoy this easy appetizer!

How to store Sourdough Cheesy Pull Apart Bread

Because this recipe has dairy (cheese), I would recommend leave out at room temperature no longer than 3 hours. Place any leftovers in a ziplock bag or airtight container and into the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Once cooled, place in the freezer for up to 6 months. Freeze together or pull apart each ball for easy reheating.

To reheat, cover the entire loaf in aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melty again.

Add a little cheese on top of the bread for extra flavor before serving. Use in replacement of a loaf of sourdough bread at pasta night or another meal served with bread.

What is your favorite cheesy bread dipping sauce? We love this recipe paired with smoked pizza dip! Let us know in the comments below.