Citric Acid Free Classic Pull Apart Bread
Warm, buttery, and impossible to stop pulling apart, this garlic herb loaf is the kind of bread that disappears before it even has a chance to cool. The dough comes together with simple pantry staples — flour, milk, egg, and butter — with no citrus-derived additives or preservatives hiding anywhere in the ingredient list. That matters more than you might think, since many store-bought breads and even some packaged dough products sneak in citric acid as a conditioner or shelf-life extender. Here, everything is made from scratch, so you stay in complete control of what goes in. The garlic herb butter — real butter, fresh garlic, parsley, and oregano — gets brushed across the rolled dough before it's stacked, cut, and stood upright in the pan, creating those gorgeous pull-apart layers that bake up golden and fragrant. A little Parmesan on top is optional but absolutely worth it if you can tolerate it. Serve it warm straight from the pan and let everyone tear into it together — no slicing required.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°f (43°c)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the garlic herb butter
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, 1 tsp sugar, and yeast. Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
- 2
Add the flour, salt, 2 tbsp sugar, and egg to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes. Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes, then add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue kneading on medium speed for 4–5 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
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