Soft Milk Dough Soaked in Herb Garlic Butter

This pull apart garlic bread recipe turns a soft, milk-enriched dough into dozens of bite-sized pieces, each dipped in melted herb garlic butter and baked together in a loaf pan. The result is a golden, glossy loaf that tears into warm, buttery morsels with crisp edges and a pillowy centre.

Garlic bread as most people know it is an Italian-American creation, popularised in the United States in the mid-twentieth century by pairing crusty bread with butter and garlic. Pull-apart loaves, sometimes called monkey bread, take the idea further by coating individual dough pieces so every surface gets a share of the flavoured butter.

What you will need:

Dough

Ingredient	Quantity
Bread Flour	500g
Whole Milk, lukewarm	346.2g (336mL)
Instant Dry Yeast	6.4g
Granulated Sugar	19.2g
Salt	9g
Unsalted Butter, softened	51.3g

Garlic Butter

Ingredient	Quantity
Unsalted Butter, melted	128g
Garlic Cloves, minced	5-8 cloves
Parsley or Thyme or Rosemary, finely chopped	2½ tbsp

Equipments:

• 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13cm) loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Digital scale
• Large mixing bowl
• Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
• Bench scraper
• Garlic press or microplane or knife
• Plastic wrap or damp towel
• Kitchen towel
• Wire cooling rack

General Details:

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes (including rising)

Yield: 1 loaf (about 8 servings)

Difficulty: Beginner

Cuisine: Italian-American

Category: Bread

Storage: Best served warm on the day; wrap leftovers in foil and keep at room temperature for 2 days, reheating at 175°C for 8-10 minutes.

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Instructions:

Make the Dough

• Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk (about 35°C) in a large bowl.
• Add the bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains.
• Add the softened butter and salt, then work them in with coil folds until fully incorporated.
• Cover and rise for about 1½ hours until doubled in size.

Make the Garlic Butter

• Soften the butter and stir in the minced garlic and chopped parsley or thyme or rosemary.

Assemble and Proof

• Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into about 36 small pieces of roughly 25g each with a bench scraper.
• Dip each piece in the garlic butter, letting excess drip off, and layer the pieces loosely in the pan.
• Pour any remaining garlic butter over the top, cover, and proof for 20-30 minutes until puffy.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) during the final proof.

Bake

• Bake for 30-35 minutes until deep golden brown and the centre reaches 90°C (195°F).
• Lift the loaf out with the parchment and cover with a kitchen towel for 5 minutes to keep it soft.
• Serve warm, pulling the pieces apart at the table.

More Variations

• Cheesy Pull-Apart – Toss the butter-dipped pieces in shredded mozzarella and Parmesan before layering.
• Chilli Garlic – Add chilli flakes and smoked paprika to the garlic butter for a spicy loaf.
• Pesto Swirl – Replace the herbs with basil pesto stirred into the melted butter.
• Roasted Garlic – Use mashed roasted garlic for a sweeter, mellow flavour without sharpness.
• Garlic Knots – Roll the dough into ropes, tie into knots, bake as rolls, and brush with garlic butter.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve alongside spaghetti with marinara or a slow-cooked ragù.
• Pair with a crisp Caesar salad and a bowl of tomato soup.
• Add to a grazing board with olives, marinated artichokes, and burrata.
• Present whole on a wooden board with a small bowl of warm marinara for dipping.

Nutrition Profile / 100g

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	356 kcal
Total Fat	17.1 g
Saturated Fat	10.2 g
Carbohydrates	42.6 g
Sugars	4.0 g
Protein	8.0 g
Fiber	1.5 g
Sodium	379 mg

Note: Calculated per 100g of baked loaf including all garlic butter. Assumes about 12% moisture loss, 6.5 garlic cloves, and parsley. Approximate values based on recipe formula. Actual nutrition may vary.

Tips for Best Results:

• Use lukewarm milk around 35°C, since hot milk damages yeast and cold milk slows the rise.
• Mince the garlic finely or grate it so it distributes evenly and does not burn in large pieces.
• Keep the dough pieces a similar size so the loaf bakes evenly without raw centres.
• Layer the pieces loosely rather than packing them, giving them room to expand during proofing.
• Check the centre with a thermometer because the outer pieces brown well before the middle is done.
• Tent with foil after 20 minutes if the top colours too quickly from the butter and milk sugars.

Troubleshooting Guide:

Issue	Possible Cause	Fix
Raw, doughy centre	Pieces packed too tightly or underbaked	Layer loosely; bake to 90°C internal
Bitter, burnt garlic taste	Garlic pieces too large or top overbrowned	Mince finely; tent with foil after 20 minutes
Greasy base	Too much excess butter pooled in the pan	Let excess drip off each piece before layering
Loaf did not rise well	Milk too hot or too cold	Use milk at about 35°C
Pieces fused into a solid loaf	Not enough butter between pieces	Coat every surface of each piece
Butter not incorporating into dough	Butter too cold	Use very soft butter and keep folding

Snapshot Recipe

Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) during final proof
Whole Milk, 35°C (346.2g)	stir	mix	coil fold rise 1½ hr	cut, dip layer proof 20-30 min	bake 175°C 30-35 min
Instant Dry Yeast (6.4g)
Granulated Sugar (19.2g)
Bread Flour (500g)
Unsalted Butter (51.3g)
Salt (9g)
Butter, melted (128g)			infuse cool
Garlic, minced (5-8 cloves)
Parsley or Thyme (2½ tbsp)

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It is perfect for pasta nights, family dinners, holiday tables, and game-day spreads. Because the dough is made with milk and butter, it stays tender even after reheating, so leftovers are never a problem.

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