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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can this dough recipe be modified to use a sourdough starter?
Hi there! I am not too familiar with sourdough starter so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
Can you freeze dough?
I haven’t ever tried that myself but that should work well! xT
Can you let the dough sit overnight?
Hi Zena,
You bet, just cover with a damp cloth:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
This appetizer smells sooo good while baking!! I had to adjust the bake time to 20 min, and even that was a touch long. But I’m wondering if that was because my dough wasn’t quite as thick as the pictures looked. I might try baking at 350° next time and see if that works better. So stoked to try it!
Hey McKenzie,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈
I love a simple dough recipe and this one is about as simple as it gets. The garlic butter was delicious. I don’t know what happened but I found my final product to be a bit dry. Going to try a shorter bake next time and these will probably be perfect.
Hey Meredith,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear this was dry for you, let me know if you give it another try! xT
My son and daughter-in-law made this for Christmas this year but they used crescent roll dough to cut corners and it was still delicious!!! I wish I could add a pic, it was so cute!
Hey Cindy,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
Did they use two packages? I really need a short cut today.
I just made this today but made a few tweaks. Used store bought pizza dough, and used one layer instead of two! Turned out delicious regardless, instant hit. The tree was gone in less than 30 mins!
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
I made this wonderful bread today with a couple variations. Instead of the roasted garlic butter, I mixed softened butter with some garlic- herb Boursin cheese and Parmesan for the filling and brushed the top with egg and drizzled butter. I also made a wreath shape rather than the tree just for fun; but will try the tree shape some time. It was a huge hit for a ladies lunch for my mother and her friends; and complimented the shrimp chowder and salad I served with it!
Hey Deneen,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Hello, this recipe looks amazing! Should I bake at 350 or at 400?
Hi Sophie,
You are going to bake at 400F. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can you make this the day before and just bake it the next day?
Hi Judy,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
My daughter follows you and has made your pull apart tree a few times-absolutely clever and deeeeeelicious! Great ideas!
Hey Joyce,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Can you make this the day before and then just pull the dough out for the cutting/shaping the day of? If so, should you let it rise then refrigerate?
Hey Vivienne,
Yes, that will work well for you and then just take it out 30 minutes prior to baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
This was amazing- entire family loved it!
Hey Erin,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
In the process of making this again – was a fantastic hit last year!! Thank you so much:)
Will try with oat milk this time…let you know
Hey Laura,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
Can I use puff pastry instead?
Hey Dakota,
I think store bought dough or croissant dough might work best for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Can you make this ahead of time (like in the morning) and then bake later in the day?
Hey Sara,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT