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parmesan garlic bread
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4.67 from 9 votes

Parmesan Garlic Bread Twist

My easy parmesan garlic bread is cheesy, fluffy and savory. It’s a perfect appetizer and everyone will think you’re a pro baker when it comes to the table!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Proofing time50 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Appetizer, Breads, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Australian, Western
Keyword: cheese bread, cheesy garlic bread, garlic bread, parmesan garlic bread
Servings: 12
Calories: 355kcal

Ingredients

For the dough:

For the filling:

  • 4 oz unsalted butter very soft (1 stick)
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 100g
  • cup grated mozzarella cheese 70g

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Make dough

  • Put the ingredients for the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed to combine everything for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth and glossy, about 6 minutes. The dough will be very soft, so don’t worry if it doesn’t pull away from the sides of the bowl easily.
    1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp instant yeast, 2 eggs, 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp fine salt

First proof

  • Set your oven to dough proving setting (or steam-only setting, if you don’t have dough proving), 100ºF (38ºC). Put the uncovered bowl in the oven for 40 minutes, after which the dough should have doubled in size.

Make filling

  • While the dough proves, mix the butter, salt and garlic for the filling in a bowl. Set aside. If your cheese isn't pre-grated, prepare that now as well.
    4 oz unsalted butter, ½ tsp fine salt, 3 cloves garlic

Assemble the loaf

  • When the dough has finished the first proof, scrape it out of the bowl onto a floured bench. Gently press to knock out any large air bubbles, then roll it into a rectangle about 16 inches (40cm) wide and 12 inches (30cm) long. Using an offset spatula, very gently spread the garlic butter over the dough, squashing it out so there’s a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, leaving a 1 inch edge on one of the long sides.
    1 cup grated parmesan cheese, ⅔ cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • Roll the dough up tightly from the long side, so you have a 16 inch (40cm) long spiral. Transfer the entire log to the freezer for 30-45 minutes to make the next step easier.
  • When the dough has chilled, slice it lengthwise down the middle so you have two long pieces with the layers of garlic butter and cheese showing. Gently twist the pieces together, trying to keep the layered parts visible at the top of the twist. You’re trying to make a tight, neat twist but don’t worry too much about how it looks. It’ll spread and puff and turn into something beautiful and rustic looking in the oven, no matter how messy it looks to begin with. Transfer the twisted loaf gently onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Proof the bread: if you want to hold off baking for up to 12 hours, cover with a plastic bag or cling wrap and pop it in the fridge. Otherwise, set the oven to dough proving setting (or steam only setting) again, 38ºC/100ºF. Put the uncovered baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes. The loaf should look puffy and roughly double the size it was previously.
  • Bake: if you’ve proofed your bread in the oven, you can leave it in there while it heats up. If you did the fridge proofing method, remove it about an hour before you’d like to bake so the loaf can come up to room temperature. Set oven to 350ºF (180ºC), combination steam setting. If you have variable steam settings, use 30% (if you can’t vary your steam, just set to combination steam at the correct temp and let the oven take care of the humidity). Bake the bread until it’s golden brown and risen, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve, cut into thick slices, warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  1. This makes one very large loaf. If you prefer, split the dough into two after the first proof and proceed with the recipe, forming two smaller loaves/twists.
  2. The dough can be frozen after it's been formed and twisted. You can keep it, frozen and uncooked, for about a week, thawing overnight in the fridge and proceeding with the final proof and bake steps when you're ready. 

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 598IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg