You must try this irresistible gluten-free pull apart bread! Made with my homemade crescent dough, these fluffy rolls are stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese and brushed with garlic butter! This easy party bread is the perfect holiday appetizer-just 40 minutes to rise and 20 minutes to bake!
Katie's Recipe Notes
Ever since I created my gluten-free crescent rolls, I've been dreaming up new ways to use that dough. One idea was to shape it into a Christmas tree made of bite-sized rolls and baked together into a cheesy, tear part loaf. But after tasting it, I knew it was much too delicious to save for just one holiday, so I went with this circular wreath shape instead-I even used this dough to make a sweet version, my gluten-free cinnamon roll wreath.
As for what to call it? Savory monkey bread, bubble bread, party bread-I couldn't decide! All I know is you can serve this at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's, and your guests will be drooling!
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Crescent Roll Dough: My recipe includes Caputo Fioreglut, sorghum flour, potato flour, and tapioca starch. I have an in-depth explanation on how to make the dough in the gluten-free crescent roll post, so please read it if you have questions on how to make the dough. Also note, Caputo Fioreglut contains gluten-free wheat starch.
- Mozzarella Cheese Sticks: Yep, those sticks you put in the kids' lunch box!
- Butter, Italian Seasoning, Dried Parsley, Garlic Powder and Salt
- Marinara sauce or pizza sauce for dipping.
*Refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Why This Dough?
It might seem like a lot of ingredients, but I pair Caputo Fioreglut with sorghum, potato, and tapioca flours to balance structure and tenderness. Psyllium husk acts like gluten, helping the rolls trap air and rise. This combo creates the soft, fluffy texture you'd expect from a pull-apart bread and something most gluten-free blends struggle to deliver.
Get the Goods!
Caputo Fioreglut
I recommend you buy Caputo Fioreglut from Brick Oven Baker. They have great prices and you can use code: KATIE for 10% off your first order!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pull Apart Bread
- Make the Dough: Weigh all of your dry ingredients and whisk them together in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Then measure and warm the wet ingredients, this includes the water, butter, oil, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend for 2 minutes to form a thick, smooth dough.
- Form Cheese-Filled Dough Balls: Use a small cookie scoop measure out about 1 tablespoon of dough.
- Flatten the dough into a small disc, using a dusting of rice flour on your hands if needed to help with sticking.
- Place a cube of mozzarella in the center, then wrap the dough around the cheese to seal it.
- Roll the dough gently between your hands to form a ball. Repeat with remaining dough.
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- Assemeble and Bake: Arrange the dough balls in a greased springform pan (or cake pan).
- Cover and let rise for 40 minutes. It won't look like the dough has risen much, but it will puff nicely in the oven.
- Brush the tops with olive oil, then bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 20 minutes, until golden.
- Finish with Garlic Butter: Melt the butter and stir in garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Brush the mixture over warm rolls.
- Serve right away with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.
Variations
- Cheddar & Bacon: Swap mozzarella for cheddar and add in a few bacon crumbles.
- Pepperoni Pizza Bread: Put a slice of pepperoni under the mozzarella in each dough ball. After baking, brush with garlic butter and sprinkle with parmesan and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
- Everything Seasoning: Stuff with cream cheese. Brush baked rolls with butter and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning instead of garlic butter.
Top Recipe Tips
- Springform Pan: I like to bake this bread in a springform pan since it makes it easy to just slide the rolls onto a plate for serving. If you don't have a springform pan, a regular cake pan will also work. Line it with parchment paper and leave some overhang so you can lift the bread out after baking.
- Substitutions not guaranteed: Changing any of the listed ingredients may lead to unexpected results. Since I haven't tested all possible substitutions, I can't guarantee the outcome if you substitute or omit ingredients.
- Measure by weight: I highly recommend measuring the ingredients by weight for this recipe. For quantities less than 10g, be sure to use at scale that is accurate for small amounts or use the teaspoon measurements for those ingredients.
Make Ahead Suggestions
These rolls are best baked and served fresh, but I think you could shape the dough balls, cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight before baking. I would not do a full rise before refrigeration, as they will likely overproof if you do. I haven't tested this option yet, so let me know if you give it a try! I'll update here when I try it.
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Love baking with yeast? Don't miss my Gluten-Free Yeast Breads collection for rolls, pizza dough, and more. And if you love Caputo Firoeglut as much as I do, check out my Caputo Fioreglut Recipe Roundup!
More Gluten-Free Party Food Recipes
Here's a few more of my popular gluten-free appetizer recipes to round out the table!
Recipe
Gluten-Free Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Video
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
- 9-inch Springform pan or cake pan
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 125 g Caputo Fioreglut gluten-free flour
- 30 g superfine sorghum flour
- 20 g potato flour
- 20 g tapioca starch
- 13 g dry milk powder
- 14 g granulated sugar
- 3.5 g instant yeast (1 teaspoon )
- 3 g psyllium husk powder (¾ tsp )
- 3 g table salt (½ teaspoon )
- 100 g water
- 28 g butter
- 8 g olive oil (2 tsp, plus more for brushing)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
Filling & Topping
- 4 mozzarella cheese sticks (each cut into 6 pieces )
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 125 g Caputo Fioreglut gluten-free flour, 30 g superfine sorghum flour, 20 g potato flour, 20 g tapioca starch, 13 g dry milk powder, 14 g granulated sugar, 3.5 g instant yeast, 3 g psyllium husk powder, and 3 g table salt.
- In a microwave-safe dish, warm the 100 g water, 28 g butter, and 8 g olive oil to 120-130°F. Whisk in 1 large egg, then recheck the temperature, reheating to 120-130°F if needed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Blend with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until a thick, smooth dough forms.
Shape the Dough:
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion about 1 tablespoon of dough.
- Press each portion into a small disc, using a little rice flour on your hands if the dough feels sticky.
- Place a piece of mozzarella in the center, and then wrap dough around it. Gently roll the dough in your hands to seal in the cheese and form a a ball.
- As you make the dough balls, place them in a parchment-lined and greased springform pan in a wreath shape. Place about 14 around the outer edge of the pan and the remaining 8 inside to create a second ring, spacing them evenly.
- Cover and let the rolls rise for 40 minutes. The dough will not double in size and should puff up more in the oven. Do not over-proof or the rolls will not puff in the oven.
Bake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Brush rolls lightly with olive oil. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown.
- When the rolls are almost finished baking, melt ¼ cup butter and stir in 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush the butter mixture over the warm bread.
- Serve immediately with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Measuring ingredients by weight is preferred. Some U.S. measurements, mostly for smaller quantity ingredients, are included where it makes sense. Use the US/Metric button at the top of the ingredients to toggle back and forth.
- For proper yeast activation, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature and that your wet ingredients are heated to the correct temperature before adding to the dough.
- Any substitutions made can affect the outcome of the recipe. Therefore, I cannot guarantee you'll have the same results. If you make a successful substitution, please share in the comments of the blog post.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Sandy says
Another great recipe! Thanks! I’ll be making again for New Year’s!
Beth says
This was so fun to make! I had my kids help roll the dough balls. We really enjoyed the garlic flavor and it was fun to pull apart!
Kat says
Followed it to a T and they did not come out as pictured. It was soft but lacking flavor and somewhat grey. At least it was not gummy as some other recipes I've tried.
Katie Olesen says
The gray color is odd, my batches always bake golden brown with good flavor, as seen in the images and video which are straight from my kitchen. Did you happen to make any flour or ingredient substitutions? Did you brush the dough with oil before baking? And was the dough brushed with the garlic butter after baking? Much of the flavor comes from the garlic butter, and the oil helps with browning.