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Light, soft, buttery, garlicky, perfectly salted—and completely delicious. Made with store-bought challah, this easy house-style garlic bread bakes up golden and irresistible. Serve it warm with a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese and flaky sea salt. Always impressive, always a hit, and the perfect pull-apart bread for all your upcoming holiday dinners.
You know that garlic bread I’ve been hinting at for weeks? Well, this is it. I’ve been making it nonstop lately as a side for our family dinners. With so many brothers in town for Christmas, I’ve been cooking and baking daily. Dinners are always important to me—I love making everyone’s favorite foods.
No one asks or expects it, but I truly enjoy doing it. And garlic bread? It’s never not wanted.
I always keep challah in my freezer, usually picked up from Whole Foods. I mainly used it for French toast, but one night when I didn’t have any ciabatta, I grabbed a loaf of challah and turned it into garlic bread instead.
Everyone agreed—a soft challah is ideal. The butter melts right into those pillowy layers, soaking every inch of the loaf in garlicky, buttery goodness.
I finish mine with flaky sea salt and a fresh grating of Asiago cheese. Truly the best garlic bread.
Here are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- fresh garlic
- parsley
- sage
- garlic powder
- chili flakes
- challah
- parmesan and pecorino
- flaky sea salt
Kitchen Tools
All you need is a bowl and a baking sheet to make this easy pull apart garlic bread.
The Steps
Step 1: Mix the garlic butter
Make sure to use salted butter. Let it get very soft, then mix in the grated garlic, parsley, sage, garlic powder, and chili flakes.
If sage isn’t your thing, thyme or oregano work well too. Personally, I love the sage — it’s unexpected but so delicious.
Step 2: Cut the challah
Place the challah on a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut it in half horizontally to create two even halves. Spread the cut sides generously with the garlic butter, then sprinkle with Parmesan.
Sandwich the halves back together to re-form the loaf.
Next, cut the challah into cubes. You can do this by slicing straight down vertically or by cutting around the bumps of the braid — just be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom so the loaf stays intact.
Step 3: Bake
Spread the remaining garlic butter over the top of the challah. Cover the bread and bake until warmed through and very soft inside.
Remove the foil and continue baking for a few more minutes, until the top is deeply golden and lightly crisp while the inside stays pillowy and tender.
When the challah comes out of the oven, finish it with a sprinkle of Pecorino or extra Parmesan and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Pull it apart while it’s hot and enjoy — it’s completely irresistible!
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Lastly, if you make this Easy Pull Apart Garlic Butter Challah Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Pull Apart Garlic Butter Challah Bread
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 201 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, very soft
- 2-3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- chili flakes
- 1 large loaf challah, split in half lengthwise
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino (or more parmesan)
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Mix together the butter, garlic, parsley, sage, and garlic powder. Season with chili flakes.3. Place the challah on the baking sheet and cut it in half horizontally. Spread the cut sides with the garlic butter, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Sandwich the halves back together to re-form the loaf. Slice the bread vertically (or around the bumps of the braid) to create 1-inch cubes (see photo above).4. Rub the remaining garlic butter all over the challah, getting butter in between the cuts. Cover and bake for 8–10 minutes. Remove the top and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until deeply golden. Finish with Pecorino and flaky sea salt. Pull apart and enjoy!
This post was originally published on December 18, 2025
So soggy!!
Hi Tara,
Very sorry this was soggy for you, thanks for trying the recipe and your comment!
Happy New Year!
So soggy!!
I have made this twice in the last week and it was perfect both times!! Such a hit and crispy and fantastic. Will absolutely make it again and again!! Thank you!!
Hey Jess,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have a very Happy New Year!🥂🎆
Made this yesterday & it was a total disaster.
Hi Brenda,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! If there is anything specific that I can help with, please let me know!
Made this last night and everyone loved it! Perfect combination of salty, savory and the added sweetness from the challah was amazing! Great recipe, definitely making this again.
Hey Elissa,
Amazing! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear it turned out well for you!
This turned out so soggy, especially the bottom. Really disappointed.
We made this tonight and it was delicious!! We used dried parsley and oregano but will try fresh parsley and sage next time. The bottom was definitely butter rich but not “soggy”. My son loves garlic bread and I hesitated but he nudged to give it a try.
We have a second challah and will make another tomorrow😋😋😋
Hey Christina,
Yay!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
Happy Sunday!
This turned out so poorly for me, I really don’t see how it was thoroughly tested.
Hi Samantha,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed, but I can promise it was tested:) Have a great Sunday!
My whole family loved this garlic bread! 😋 Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Susan,
Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Happy Holidays!
This turned out absolutely horrendous.
I made this for a party and it turned out so soggy, & it isn’t pull apart when the top is the only thing that you can do…the bottom is so soggy & inedible.
This came out great for me! Not soggy at all!! Delicious and easy!
Hey Alden,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
I should have read reviews before making, I used slightly stale challah I had left over and it still turned out soggy on the bottom. Basically you can only eat the top piece, the bottom was soggy. Also cutting just the top makes serving hard as you would need to slice the bottom piece after people eat the top, but since the bottom was soggy we just tossed it.
Hi Mary,
I’m sorry to hear you did not enjoy this bread. Thanks for trying it and sharing your feedback!
Happy Holidays!
This turned out so soggy for me, I’m really disappointed. I don’t see how this recipe was thoroughly tested when so many commenters are having issues with it. 🙁
Hi Rachel,
Very sorry to hear this recipe was soggy for you. Thanks for giving it a try!
Happy Holidays!
I used sourdough bread, made this for company tonight….came out delicious!
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your notes, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have a great holiday week!🎄🎁