Does the mere idea of Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread get you salivating? Us too! We love bread. We love cheese. Put them together – apply heat to melt the cheese – add butter and Garlic-Infused Oil and you have a decadent, fun, rich treat that is also VERY easy to make!
All About Low FODMAP Bread
Pre-FODMAP days, bread was so easy. You had toast for breakfast, maybe a sandwich for lunch. On the weekends French toast made an appearance and at restaurants that bread-basket was a highlight. But what about now? What bread can you eat on the low FODMAP diet?
It is a great question and one we hear all the time, so I teamed up with one of our Monash trained RDs, Kathryn Adel, to create what we think is the most complete article on the subject: How To Choose Low FODMAP Bread. We highly recommend that you read it for general education.
For this recipe you will need a 1-pound (455 g) round, boule shaped artisanal sourdough bread. If you are not sure if the sourdough at your store or bakery is low FODMAP, that is exactly the kind of question that the article addresses in depth. Note that this recipe is not gluten-free.
If you can find a crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside gluten-free bread that you love, the by all means use it.
Cheese Is Low FODMAP
Dairy is another aspect that can be confusing for many newer to the diet. The low FODMAP diet is not dairy-free, it is lower in lactose. Many cheeses are indeed low FODMAP in generous serving sizes.
You can read more in our article, Is Cheese Low FODMAP?
For this recipe I use two cheeses: Gruyere and mozzarella. Both have low FODMAP serving sizes and each brings its own flavor and textural qualities to the finished dish.
The Gruyere is richly flavored, nutty and complex. It is one of my favorite hard cheeses to melt and it does a splendid jib here. The mozzarella is mild; we use it here for its stretchy “meltability”, not so much for flavor. Together they work cheesy magic.
Garlic Flavor Without FODMAPs
The FODMAPs in garlic that are problematic are fructans. Fructans, luckily for us, are water soluble but not oil soluble. This is how Garlic-Infused Oil can be made and have garlic flavor as well as remain free of fructans and be low FODMAP.
I call for both Garlic-Infused Oil and butter for this Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread for ultimate flavor and moisture.
Ingredients for Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients for Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
All of the ingredients are easy to find. A GREAT loaf of bread is a must! Again, review our article on choosing low FODMAP bread to help expand your horizons. For this recipe, whether you are using wheat bread, a classic sourdough or a GF option, you want a crusty exterior and a chewy interior.
For the oil, use our homemade Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil, with an olive oil base, or you can use a purchased equivalent.
You could vary the cheeses but after trying all kinds of combinations I have to say I love the Gruyere and mozzarella. I have made this with cheddar and Monterey Jack, with Colby, Manchego…really just use a cheese or cheeses that you love and they should be good melters.
As for the final flourish of chopped parsley – or even other fresh herbs? That’s up to you. Great any which way. Truly. Because come on, this is all about the MELTED CHEESE!
How To Make Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
This is so easy. The most important thing is timing. It really must be enjoyed right when it comes out of the oven, so plan accordingly.
I do give you do-ahead directions in the recipe, as well.
First, take your bread and a sharp, long, serrated knife and cut down into the bread, about three-quarters of the way through, in diamond shapes. First make parallel cuts all across the bread, then turn it 45° and cut again, making approximately 1-inch (2.5 cm) diamond shapes.
Use your fingers to spread the cut areas apart somewhat.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in oil.
Now you have to get the butter/oil mixture onto all the cut areas. This is best accomplished with a combo of your fingers and a pastry brush. It is a messy process!
Reserve a couple tablespoons of the butter mixture. Now season the cut areas with salt and pepper.
Toss the two cheeses together:
Then stuff all of the cut areas with the cheese. This will be messy and you have to use your fingers and there will be cheese everywhere, in cracks and on top of the bread. That’s OK.
Drizzle cheese-stuffed bread with remaining butter/oil mixture.
If you want to store the bread overnight at this point, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature as oven preheats. Remove and discard plastic.
If baking right away, wrap bread tightly in foil
Place on a baking sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then unwrap and return to oven and cook some more to crisp the bread and melt all the cheese, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
Serve immediately. This is what it looks like without parsley:
Or you can sprinkle with parsley, if you like.
Just tear into this sucker and chow down!
Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
Does the mere idea of Low FODMAP Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread get you salivating? Us too! We love bread. We love cheese. Put them together – apply heat to melt the cheese – add butter and Garlic-Infused Oil and you have a decadent, fun, rich treat that is also VERY easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 1- pound (455 g) crusty low FODMAP sourdough boule (round loaf of bread)
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil, or purchased equivalent
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6- ounces (170 g) Gruyere, shredded
- 2- ounces (55 g) mozzarella, shredded
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; optional
Preparation:
-
Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
-
Take your bread and a long, sharp serrated knife and cut down into the bread, about three-quarters of the way through, in diamond shapes. First make parallel cuts all across the bread, then turn it 45° and cut again, making approximately 1-inch (2.5 cm) diamond shapes.
-
Use your fingers to spread the cut areas apart somewhat.
-
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in oil.
-
Use a pastry brush and brush the butter/oil mixture down into all the cut spaces. You will have to use your fingers to spread the cut areas apart. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the butter mixture. Now season the cut areas with salt and pepper.
-
Toss the two cheeses together and then stuff all of the cut areas with the cheese. This will be messy and you have to use your fingers and there will be cheese everywhere, in cracks and on top of the bread. That’s OK. Drizzle cheese-stuffed bread with remaining butter/oil mixture.
-
If you want to store the bread overnight at this point, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature as oven preheats. Remove and discard plastic.
-
To bake right away, wrap bread tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then unwrap and return to oven and cook some more to crisp the bread and melt all the cheese, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
-
Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley, if you like. Just tear into this sucker and chow down!
Notes:
Tips
• You can use other cheeses. Stick with the total amount, weight wise, and use our article, Is Cheese Low FODMAP? to help you assess the right cheeses from a FODMAP point of view.
• You can also stir herbs or spices into the butter/oil mixture, if you like.
• Adding some hot pepper flakes is a nice addition.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Eat to your tolerance.
- Cheese: Many cheeses have low FODMAP serving sizes. The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. Hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano have been lab tested by Monash University and are low FODMAP in 40 g amounts.
- Garlic-Infused Oil: Make your own Garlic-Infused Oil or buy a commercial equivalent for the easiest way to add garlic flavor to your food. Fructans in garlic are not oil-soluble, so garlic-infused oil is low FODMAP.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
