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This festive Pull Apart Christmas Tree Garlic Bread is light, soft, buttery, garlicky, perfectly salted, and SO delicious. Serve this warm right out of the oven with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt and marinara for dipping. It’s melt in your mouth good…and oh so impressive. This is simpler than you’d think to make, and such a fun pull-apart bread for all of your upcoming holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Warm whole milk
- Instant yeast
- Honey
- Large eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Salted butter
- Grated parmesan
- Chopped fresh sage
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Dried parsley
- Chili flakes
What you will need in the kitchen:
- Stand mixer and bowl
- Foil
- Medium bowl
- Forks and knives
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
I’ve already made a pull apart wreath so I figured it was time to add a Christmas tree to the mix! I’ve seen these for years, but wanted to give it my own touch. And you guys, I love this bread!
It’s oddly simpler than you’d think to make (you have to look at the photos, visuals make it much easier). And so flipping good! It’s hard to beat garlic bread, but shape it like a Christmas tree?
Yes, it’s just that much better.
I’ve wanted to make this for a long time. Last year I ran out of days in December. So this year I put it on our content calendar way back in October…and never moved it off. When I told my mom the idea, she immediately said, “oh you have to make that!!”.
In our house, no holiday dinner is complete without a side of homemade bread. Most of the time I’ll make some form of a soft, buttery roll. But this year I wanted something a bit more festive.
Going into this recipe I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, I was actually nervous. I just wanted it to work and turn out great so badly! I had a vision in my head and it needed to match! And thankfully I got it just right!
It’s delicious, festive, and well…it smells amazing while baking away in the oven.
The details
I know this bread might look like it takes hours to make, but trust me, it’s not as tricky as you think. First, make a milk-based bread dough, roll it out, then cut the dough into a triangle. Next, spread on plenty of roasted garlic butter. Then add another triangle of dough on top.
From here, simply cut slits up the tree and twist them! Seems crazy, I know, but it’s going to be great!!
Use the photos as a visual guide, they will really help!
The dough
Flour, instant yeast, and a pinch of salt with milk, eggs, and butter. The combination creates a beautiful golden crust on the outside, but the inside stays incredibly soft and fluffy.
I prefer to use instant yeast to keep the dough making process quick and simple! It also prevents the dough from rising too much in the oven, which helps the tree keep its shape better.
The roasted garlic butter
Roasting garlic is really easy. If you’ve never done it before it really adds a layer of deliciousness to your recipes.
Slice the top portion of the garlic head off to reveal the cloves. Then place the garlic on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap the garlic up. Roast for about forty minutes, until the garlic is deeply golden and soft.
I like to mash the garlic with butter, parmesan, and herbs. Nothing fancy, but wow, so good.
What’s great about this pull apart bread is that while it’s a nice addition to your dinner party menu, it also works as an appetizer. It would be nice to have this ready just as your guests arrive. They can snack on bread and enjoy cocktails before dinner. It’s always nice to have something for people to graze over while chatting away.
The most important thing you must do? Serve the bread warm with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Truly nothing is more delicious. I can’t wait to serve this to my family on Christmas Eve…my brothers and Asher are already excited. They all love a soft garlic bread!
Looking for other bread recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Easy Pull Apart Garlic Parmesan Bread
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Herby Everything Cheddar Swirl Buns
Lastly, if you make this Pull Apart Christmas Tree Garlic 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!
Pull Apart Christmas Tree Garlic Bread
Servings: 16
Calories Per Serving: 132 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick + 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 pinch chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up, and bake for 40-55 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.3. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4-1/2 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.4. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a bowl. Add 1 stick butter, the parmesan, sage, basil, oregano, parsley, and chili flakes. Mash the cloves into the butter with a fork. 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each dough into a large rectangle (roughly 15×11 inches). Place one rectangle on top of the other. To cut a large triangle, cut from the bottom corner to the center of the top. Repeat on the other side to make a large triangle in the middle. Peel away the corners and save for another use. 6. Separate the 2 triangles and place 1 triangle on the prepared baking sheet. Spread 2/3 of the garlic butter over the triangle, carefully place the second triangle on top, matching the corners. Cut the triangle into horizontal slices about 1 inch apart from the top to bottom, leaving the middle “trunk” of the tree intact. Pull the strips and twist (see above photo).8. Brush the top with the remaining garlic butter. Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.
This post was originally published on December 15, 2021
I wonder if you can do this with one of the canned dough products, e.g., Pillsbury, you find in the dairy case. Just take the dough and re-roll it into the two triangles. When you don’t have time to make your own from scratch.
Hi Chellie,
I’ve not tried that, but you could certainly give it a go! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
As you live at high altitude, is this the same recipe you use? Or do you slightly alter? I also live in Summit.
Hi Tanya,
You can follow the recipe as is, no adjustments needed:) I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Looks delish! Just wondering, Would Puff Pastry work for this recipe??
Hi Vicki,
I haven’t tried that, but I suppose it could work for you! Let me know if you give it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This is a staple dish for Christmas . I also adore it to eat it as a dessert with Nutella !
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
Thanks so much!!
Would love to try this but don’t have a stand mixer. Any suggestions?? Thanks!
Hi Debbie,
You can just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can this be made ahead ?
Hey Amelia,
You bet, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this next week! Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Kathleen,
Sure, that should be okay for you to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
The dough may be a little tougher, or sturdier than using APF
Can you make this in the morning and cook right before dinner? I want to make this but I don’t want to be making this when my guest are at my house.
Hey Holly,
You bet, that will work well for you, just keep covered on the counter. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I’m in another country, so I’m wondering how much “1 stick of butter” actually is? 1/2cup? Like another comment, I’m also wondering how much Parmesan? Thanks so much!
Hi Steph,
A stick of butter is 110-115 grams – I had to figure that one out too, because I live overseas also…some of our local stores have sticks of butter, but it’s not all that common to find them. 🙂
Hey Steph,
1 stick of butter is equal to 113 grams. You will want to use 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This is fabulous! Well done. Got to make this for my family ??xx
Thanks so much Kelly-Jane!! xTieghan
You truly have a gift for creativity. Nice job. Will be making this this weekend. Thank you!
Thank you so very much Mary!
This looks like something my family would really enjoy. Parmesan is not a listed ingredient, but it’s mentioned in the directions. How much? Grated? Shredded?
Hey Staci,
Sorry for any confusion, you will want to use 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This looks so good! Would love to make it for Christmas Eve. Can this be prepared in the morning and refrigerated and baked at night?
Hey Emma,
Yes, that will work well for you. You could also just leave it covered on the counter until you are ready to bake. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
What if in a hurry one makes this with store bought pizza dough? 😀 Not a bad idea, right?
Thank you!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, lovely Tieghan! And thank you for another year of lovely and life-changing recipes! <3
Hi Sofia,
I’ve not tried this, but it should be okay! Merry Christmas! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Have you ever made this with Gluten Free flour? Looks amazing and I would love to make this, just not sure if it would turn out well.
Hi Stephanie,
An equal amount of GF flour should work well for you here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I would love to know, too.