This fun and festive pull-apart garlic bread wreath is the perfect appetizer served with a few drinks this holiday season. Made with a simple homemade dough and baked in garlic butter and cheese, you’ll want to make this for your next holiday party!
Garlic bread is one of my all time favourite starters or side dishes to serve as everyone loves it. This is a fun variation that feels super festive in December, but can 100% be made any time of year.
It all starts with a simple, pizza dough style bread that is cut into bite sized pieces and tossed with a flavourful herby garlic butter and of course, a little cheese! I like to keep things dairy free so I am using dairy free cheese here, but you can use any you like.
From here, the magic happens when it gets baked until golden brown on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside, served warm dipped in a rich marina sauce.
I love this served in the middle of the table so you can grab a little piece at a time while you chat and enjoy a couple of drinks. Preferably outside on the deck with a cool afternoon breeze.
Key Ingredients
This pull-apart garlic bread uses simple ingredients that you may have in the house already these holiday’s making it a great easy appetizer to serve to guests before dinner or even as a festive side.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Yeast – I use instant dried yeast for this recipe.
- Sugar – activates the yeast.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Salt – essential when making any homemade dough as the bread will taste very bland without it.
- Olive oil – adds flavour to the dough.
- Dairy free butter – use a quality dairy-free butter substitute here for the best flavour. I love and always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- Garlic – it wouldn’t be garlic bread without garlic! Feel free to adjust the quantity based on your tastes and the size of your garlic cloves.
- Herbs – I like to do some fresh parsley and then some dried oregano for flavour. You could also just use 2 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs instead.
- Cheese – depending on your dietary needs, use your favourite dairy free, lactose free or regular cheese. You can also just skip the cheese, however it does add a lot of flavour.
- Marina sauce – I like to serve this with my homemade marinara sauce as it’s so delicious for dipping the warm bread into but you can use any sauce you like.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Making the dough for the pull-apart garlic bread is very similar to making homemade pizza dough.
I like to start with blooming the yeast. This is where the yeast is mixed with warm water and sugar and allowed to rest for 5-10 minutes until frothy. While this step isn’t really necessary when using instant yeast, I like to do it as it ensures that my yeast is alive and well before I get started.
👉Tip! The water should be warm to the touch but not hot, around 37-43°C (98-110°F). This is the ideal temperature range for activating yeast. If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if it’s too cold, the yeast may not activate properly.
I also like to use a stand mixer when making any type of dough as it makes the process so much easier as you don’t need to mix and knead by hand.
To the bowl with the yeast mixture, add in the flour, salt and olive oil and use the dough hook attachment of your mixer to mix until a dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. From here you can continue the mixer to knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes or until it’s smooth and elastic.
Remove the dough from the bowl and add a little olive oil to the bowl to grease it. Add the dough back in, turning to coat it and then set the bowl aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising you can make the garlic butter, preheat the oven, and prepare your pan. To create the wreath shape use a 9 inch / 23 cm round springform pan. This is going to allow you to really easily remove the pan from the bread after baking without damaging it.
To the centre of the pan, add a small ramekin upside down. Grease the pan and ramekin with cooking spray to help prevent the bread from sticking and allow easy removal.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl with the garlic butter and cheese. Mix well to combine before transferring the dough balls to the prepared pan.
Bake the garlic bread for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Brush with any remaining garlic butter while still hot. Then carefully remove the side of the pan and lift out the ramekin. Place the ramekin back into the centre of the wreath, correct way up, and fill with marinara or your preferred dipping sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance. After kneading, cover it tightly and refrigerate it. Bring the dough back to room temperature and allow it to rise before cutting into pieces.
Yes! Bake the wreath as directed and let it cool completely. Wrap it tightly in foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) until warmed through.
Marinara sauce is classic and what I love, but you can also serve it with dairy free ranch dressing, vegan basil pesto, or a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.
More holiday appetisers:
Easy Baked Beef Meatballs
Steak Crostini with Caramelised Onions and Chimichurri
Seared Scallops with Avocado, Smoked Salmon and Caviar
Smoked Salmon Crostini
Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Wreath
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ⅔ cup warm water
- 2 ½ cups plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
For the garlic butter:
- 3 tablespoons melted dairy free butter
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
To assemble:
- 1 cup shredded cheese dairy free, lactose free or regular
- marinara sauce optional for serving
Instructions
- Start by making the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy. Add in the flour, salt and olive oil and using the dough hook attachment, mix until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Continue to mix for about 8 minutes, kneading the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough ball back in, turning to coat it in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the garlic butter. In a small bowl, mix together the dairy-free butter, crushed garlic, parsley, and oregano. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roughly cut the dough into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. To the bowl, add most of the garlic butter, leaving a little reserved for brushing on top after baking, and the cheese. Mix gently until the dough is coated in the butter.
- To a 9 inch round springform cake pan, add an oven safe ramekin upside down in the centre. Grease the pan with a spray of cooking oil. Arrange the pieces of dough in the pan, around the ramekin, evenly.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush the top with any remaining garlic butter.
- Allow to cool slightly, then carefully release the pan, and remove the ramekin. Place the ramekin back in the centre of the bread, this time right side up and fill with marinara sauce or any preferred sauce for dipping. Serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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