Cheesy Puzzle Bread
Chewy, buttery dinner rolls, scented with garlic and blanketed with stretchy mozzarella cheese. You need just four ingredients for this easy, fun-to-eat dish!
What is puzzle bread?
Puzzle bread (also called monkey bread or pull-apart bread) is typically made by dunking uncooked balls of dough in butter and nestling them together in a Bundt or loaf pan. For sweet variations, cinnamon and sugar are added; for savory recipes, copious amounts of cheese come into play. Since the bread bakes IN a pan, the result is a “loaf” with balls that are easy to pull away from each other (thanks to the butter bath).
I adore traditional puzzle bread! But I thought, “Why use a loaf pan or Bundt pan when a sheet pan would show-off the rolls in all their splendor?” So I dunked frozen dinner rolls in dreamy garlic-butter, snuggled them together on a sheet pan and baked them until golden brown. Then I covered the rolls with mozzarella and let them bake a little more. The result was insane!
These rolls are golden brown on the outside, doughy on the inside, glistening with garlic-butter and cheese! It’s impossible to stop eating them! And they’re perfect for entertaining crowds of all ages!
This recipe makes a big batch! I used two bags of frozen rolls (72 total rolls) and my large sheet pan (18×13 inches). The recipe below is for 36 rolls since that’s a more realistic serving size. The rolls are also sold in bags of 12 and 72, so feel free to adjust the recipe if you want to make more or less.
Use a sheet pan with an edge. The rolls around the edge of the pan may puff up and over the sides, so make sure you use a sheet pan with a little lip around the edge! You can also use a roasting pan.
Plan ahead! This recipe requires thawing and rising time, so give yourself plenty of time. The rolls take about 3 to 5 hours to thaw (depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
Cheesy Puzzle Bread
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 bag, frozen dinner rolls (36 rolls), kept frozen until ready to use
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the garlic until blended and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
- Dunk the frozen dinner rolls in the garlic-butter and arrange them on the prepared pan. The rolls will be touching each other and squished together; and that’s OK. If you run out of room, arrange any leftover balls on top of the first layer.
- Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise, at room temperature, until doubled in size, about 3 to 5 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown. Top the rolls with the cheese and return the pan to the oven, at 375 degrees. Bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts.