This rich garlic and cheese pizza loaf is smothered in garlic butter. It has tomato sauce and cheese baked right in the oven and tastes just like a cheese pizza! Garlic bread makes a great appetizer or on the side of your favourite meal.

A loaf of garlic pizza bread with melted mozzarella cheese on top.

The super soft dough is first rolled up with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in the oven. You really could stop right there and have an amazing pizza bread loaf. To make this a decadent treat, partially slice the bread, fill it with garlic bread spread, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top and pop it back in the oven. This is something truly mouthwatering!

You could buy a store bought loaf and add this garlic spread to make a delicious garlic bread. We are going to make this garlic loaf at home, from scratch, for the best fresh, soft, and pillowy texture. This recipe makes enough for two small loaves of bread, or one really long garlic pizza loaf (which is what I did). A perfect crowd-pleaser, when you want to step up your bread game with a garlic bread variation

Pouring dry active yeast onto the top of a small cup of warm milk

Ingredients For Rich Garlic and Cheese Pizza Loaf

The dough

1¼ cups warm milk

1 teaspoon sugar

2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup softened butter

1 egg

A woman kneading bread dough on a brown counter top.

A woman using a wooden rolling pin to roll bread dough into a rectangle

The Filling

1/3 cup pizza sauce

¾ – 1 cup of shredded cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it!)

Garlic bread spread and Topping

½ cup softened butter

½-1 teaspoon garlic powder (depending on how garlicy you like it)

½ teaspoons salt (if you have salted butter, omit this.)

¾-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Bread dough rolled into a log shape on a brown counter top.

Method For Rich Garlic and Cheese Pizza Loaf

To a small bowl, add half of the warm milk. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside to become foamy (about 5 minutes).
Add the flour to a large bowl.
Mix in the sugar.
Mix in the yeast mixture and the remaining milk.
Knead in the butter, salt, and 1 egg.
Tip the dough out onto a floured counter. Knead for 5 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic. (You can do all of this in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.)
Cover and let rise, in a warm place, for 1 hour.
After the dough has doubled in bulk, tip it back out onto the counter and roll it out into a rectangle.
Spread the pizza sauce on top. (You could use tomato sauce, or tomato paste.)
Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Roll the dough into a log, (like cinnamon rolls).
Split the dough down the centre length wise, into 2 or 3 strips.
If you have 3 make a braid, if you have 2 make a twist all the way down.
Place it on a cookie sheet and let rise, in a warm place, for 1 hour. (Until doubled in bulk.)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake your bread loaf for 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the top.

Adding garlic bread spread

You could be finished with the bread at this step, let cool slightly, slice and serve. Or if you want to make it into a super decadent garlic cheese bread..

Butter and garlic powder in a small class bowl.

A woman mixing garlic powder and salt into a small glass bowl of butter, with a knife.

Let the loaf cool slightly, if you are doing this right away. (You can make the bread ahead and do this the next day)
Make slices in the loaf, about ¾ of the way through. (That way, the bread loaf will stay together.)
Mix your garlic spread ingredients in a small bowl.
Butter the spread in between each slice.
Sprinkle the Cheese topping on top of the loaf.
Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Let cool slightly and serve!

Grated mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top of a garlic pizza bread loaf

A baked garlic pizza loaf being pulled apart. With stretchy strings of cheese on top.

Planning Ahead

If you want to make a garlic and cheese pizza loaf ahead of time: Bake the bread loaf, slice, and spread the garlic butter spread in between the slices. Wrap the bread and store in the refrigerator for a few days. If you want to freeze the garlic and cheese pizza loaf, wrap with cling-film and store for a few months in the freezer.

To bake, remove the cling-film and wrap the bread loaf in foil. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 20 -25 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and unwrap the foil. Sprinkle on the cheese topper. Return the bread to the oven, for another 5-10 minutes.

Garlic cheese bread of a decorative plate. A bowl of pasta with cheese on top in the background.

It is always nice to have a garlic bread on hand for quick and delicious dinner ideas!