Cheesy Bacon Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 8 slices (about 8 oz / 226 g) bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 round sourdough loaf, about 1 1/2 lb (680 g) and 8–9 inches wide
• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups (8 oz / 226 g) sharp cheddar, shredded from a block
• 1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded from a block
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided

How to make cheesy bacon pull-apart bread

1. Step 1.

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a large sheet of foil.

2. Step 2.

   Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.

3. Step 3.

   Add the butter to the skillet over low heat. When it melts, add the garlic and salt and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat.

4. Step 4.

   Using a serrated knife, cut the loaf lengthwise into 1-inch strips, stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom crust. Turn the loaf 90 degrees and repeat to make a grid of squares.

5. Step 5.

   Toss the cheddar, mozzarella, bacon and three-quarters of the green onions together in a bowl.

6. Step 6.

   Set the loaf on the foil. Gently spread the cuts and brush or spoon about two-thirds of the garlic butter deep into them.

7. Step 7.

   Working one row at a time, open the cuts with your fingers and push the cheese mixture down into them, filling all the gaps. Tuck any leftover mixture on top. Drizzle the remaining butter over the loaf.

8. Step 8.

   Wrap the loaf loosely in the foil, sealing the top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese inside has melted.

9. Step 9.

   Open the foil, fold it back from the top of the loaf and bake for another 12–15 minutes, until the cheese on top is bubbling and golden in spots and the crust edges are crisp.

10. Step 10.

    Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and serve warm, pulling off the squares.

Choose a sturdy loaf

This works best with a round sourdough, Italian or country loaf that has a firm crust and a fairly tight crumb. The crust holds the loaf together once it is cut into a grid, and the dense interior can take a lot of butter without going soggy. Soft sandwich loaves tear as you cut and spread them, and very open, holey artisan bread lets cheese fall straight through to the bottom.

A day-old loaf is ideal. It slices more cleanly than a fresh one and absorbs butter better without collapsing. An oval loaf works too; simply expect a few longer pieces at the ends.

Cut deep, but not through

A serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion keep the squares neat. Stop about 1/2 inch above the bottom crust. Cutting any shallower leaves the squares hard to pull off and the fillings can only reach the upper half; cutting all the way through turns the loaf into loose cubes that fall apart in the oven. If a cut accidentally goes through, the foil will hold the loaf together while it bakes.

One-inch squares give the best balance of bread and filling and make bite-sized pieces for a party. Wider strips are faster to fill but need more cheese to feel generous.

Getting the cheese into the middle

The most common disappointment with pull-apart bread is a loaf covered in cheese on top with plain, dry squares inside. Filling one row at a time fixes that. Pry open a cut with your fingers, spoon in butter, then push the cheese mixture down with your fingertips. Rotate the loaf and fill the cuts in the other direction. It takes a few minutes, but it is what makes every piece cheesy.

Mixing the cheeses, bacon and green onions before stuffing means each pinch carries all three, which is much faster than adding them separately. Sharp cheddar provides the flavor. Low-moisture mozzarella makes the filling stretchy and melts more evenly deep inside the loaf. Freshly shredded cheese matters more than usual here: it packs into narrow gaps more easily and melts more smoothly.

Why the bread bakes covered first

Cheese buried in a dense loaf needs time to melt. Uncovered, the top of the loaf would dry out and the exposed crust would become hard before the middle is ready. Wrapping the bread in foil for the first 20 minutes traps steam and heat so the cheese inside melts first. Opening the foil for the final stretch then crisps the edges and browns the cheese on top.

The bread is ready when the cheese is melted all the way into the cuts and bubbling on top, and the tips of the squares feel crisp. If the top is browning too fast before the center is melted, fold the foil loosely back over it.

Bacon and butter: keep them from making it greasy

Bacon goes in fully cooked and crisp. Inside the loaf it steams rather than fries, so anything soft at this stage will be chewy when served. Drain it well on paper towels. Keeping a little bacon fat in the skillet for the garlic butter adds a smoky flavor to the bread without using extra fat overall.

Six tablespoons of butter is enough to moisten a large loaf. More makes the bottom crust greasy, since excess butter runs down the cuts and pools underneath.

Variations

Bacon ranch: stir 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning into the melted butter and reduce the salt to a pinch.

Jalapeño cheddar: add 1 or 2 seeded, finely diced jalapeños to the cheese mixture.

Pepper Jack: use pepper Jack in place of the mozzarella for gentle heat and a creamier melt.

Party planning and leftovers

You can cut and fill the loaf up to 4 hours ahead. Wrap it in the foil and refrigerate it, then bake straight from the refrigerator, adding about 10 minutes to the covered stage. Cook the bacon a day ahead if that is easier.

Set the bread out on a board or in a cast-iron skillet and let people pull pieces off. It is best within 30 minutes, while the cheese is soft. Reheat any remaining bread wrapped in foil at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3 days.