Sourdough Discard Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Soft, pillowy dough balls made with sourdough discard and a little yeast, tucked with mozzarella, brushed with parsley-garlic butter, and baked until golden and gooey. The discard adds a gentle tang that balances the rich cheese.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 2 hr 5 min
- Total
- 3 hr 15 min
- Makes
- 1 round loaf (16 rolls, 8 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use unfed 100% hydration discard (equal weights flour and water), straight from the fridge is fine. Discard that is more than 2 weeks old can smell sharp, so use fresher discard for a milder flavor.
- Shred your own low-moisture mozzarella from a block if you can. Pre-shredded works, but fresh mozzarella packed in water is too wet and will make the bread soggy.
- Plan on about 3 hours 15 minutes in total, most of it hands-off rising time. The dough needs two rises: about 75 minutes, then about 40 minutes.
- Measure the flour by weight (360 g) for the most reliable dough. If using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping.
Make garlic butter
- Combine the garlic butter pieces (butter_garlic) and minced garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir for about 2 minutes until the butter melts and the garlic smells fragrant and looks pale, not browned.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the oregano and the ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant but still pale.
Tip: Browned garlic turns bitter. If it starts to color, pull the pan off the heat right away.
Mix the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and 1½ teaspoons fine salt.
- Add the discard, warm milk, egg and the melted dough butter.
- Mix with the dough hook on low speed for 2 minutes until a shaggy dough forms, scraping down the bowl once.
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Ready when: No dry flour remains and the dough looks shaggy and sticky.
Tip: If the milk is hotter than 115°F (46°C) it can kill the yeast. Check it with a thermometer.
Knead until smooth
- Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 7 to 8 minutes.
- The dough will be soft and slightly tacky.
- If it sticks heavily to the bowl sides after 4 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, up to 2 tablespoons total.
- To knead by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away from the bowl, and a small piece stretches thin without tearing when pulled gently.
Tip: Aim for soft and slightly tacky. Too much added flour makes the bread dense.
First rise
- Lightly grease a large bowl with the olive oil.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and turn it once to coat.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 to 90 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled in volume and a floured finger poked in leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Tip: Discard varies in strength. If your kitchen is cool, the rise may take up to 90 minutes, so go by the size of the dough, not the clock.
Divide and fill
- Brush the 9-inch round pan generously with some of the garlic butter.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter, press out the large air bubbles, and divide into 16 equal pieces of about 52 g each.
- Flatten each piece into a 3-inch (8 cm) disc, put about 1 tablespoon (7 g) of the 4 oz of mozzarella in the center, then pinch the edges closed around the cheese and roll into a smooth ball, seam side down.
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Ready when: Each ball is smooth and fully sealed with no cheese showing.
Tip: Pinch the seams firmly. Weak seams let the cheese leak out and scorch on the pan.
Arrange and coat
- Dip each ball into the remaining garlic butter, coating it lightly, and arrange the balls seam side down in the pan, packing them snugly: 10 around the edge and 6 in the center.
- Brush any leftover butter over the tops, but reserve about 1 tablespoon for brushing after baking.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
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Ready when: The pan is evenly filled and every ball glistens with butter.
Tip: If the garlic butter has firmed up, rewarm it for 10 seconds in the microwave or over low heat.
Second riseOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let the balls rise in a warm place for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) during the last 20 minutes of this rise.
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Ready when: The balls look puffy, touch each other, and a gentle poke leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
Tip: Don't let them over-proof. If the dents don't spring back at all, bake right away.
Bake coveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the pan on the center rack of the oven preheated to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 15 minutes with the pan covered loosely with foil.
- This keeps the cheese and Parmesan from browning too early.
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Ready when: Tops are lightly puffed and pale golden when you check at the end.
Tip: Set the pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter that bubbles over.
Add cheese and finishOven 375°F / 190°C
- Remove the foil and scatter the remaining 2 oz (55 g) of mozzarella over the top.
- Bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and spotty golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a ball reads 190°F (88°C).
- Brush with the reserved garlic butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown tops, melted bubbly cheese, and 190°F (88°C) in the center.
Tip: If the top browns too fast, tent the pan with foil again for the last few minutes.
Cool briefly and serve
- Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes so the molten cheese sets slightly.
- Run a knife around the edge, then turn the loaf out onto a plate or serve straight from the pan.
- Pull the rolls apart by hand and serve warm.
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Ready when: The bread releases easily from the pan and the cheese stretches without running.
Tip: Don't wait longer than 10 minutes to unmold, because the cheese cooling in the pan can glue the bread down.
Good to know
Tips
- Weigh the dough pieces for even balls so they bake and brown at the same rate.
- Use cold or room-temperature discard with warm milk. The milk brings the dough to a good temperature without any extra steps.
- Keep each cheese filling small (about 1 tablespoon). Overfilled balls burst and leak.
- For extra flavor, stir ½ teaspoon of garlic powder or a pinch of red pepper flakes into the garlic butter.
Make ahead
"After shaping and coating (step 6), cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Next day, leave it at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy, then bake as directed. The dough can also be refrigerated after the first rise for up to 24 hours before shaping."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: 1 day, covered. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped well. Reheat in a 325°F (160°C) oven, loosely covered with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes from frozen), until warm and the cheese is soft.
Substitutions
- all-purpose flour → bread flour. Gives a chewier, slightly taller bread. Use the same weight (360 g).
- whole milk → warm water or unsweetened plant milk. Works at the same amount, but the crumb will be a little less tender.
- low-moisture mozzarella → provolone, fontina or a mozzarella-cheddar mix. Use the same weight of a good melting cheese.
- fresh flat-leaf parsley → fresh chives or basil. Use the same amount, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley in the butter.