Surprisingly easy, this fluffy pull-apart Italian Asiago bubble bread, with a delicious buttery, cheesy crust, is so simple and delicious!

Now let me just tell you: this is a bread recipe that you want in your life.

I mean, based on how much we love this bread, I’m not certain there’s any point to ever post another recipe.

Ever.

A white pan of golden brown cooked asiago topped rolls.

You know, end on a high note. How can you be mad about fluffy pull-apart bread resting in a buttery, garlic, Asiago mixture that defies all levels of tastiness?

This bread. It is the stuff carb dreams are made of.

If you have a thing for Asiago bagels, this bread channels that type of flavor energy, except instead of being chewy and dense, the pull-apart bread is amazingly light and fluffy.

Asiago rolls on a white plate with the front roll split in half.

And it also involves butter, olive oil, garlic, and some tasty Italian seasonings.

So basically, it’s not like an Asiago bagel at all. It’s better.

Are you beginning to see how divine this pull-apart Italian Asiago bubble bread is?

Three pictures showing a pan of asiago rolls with the top two uncooked and the bottom picture cooked.

It’s no secret we are a carb-loving family, but particularly, we kind of go crazy for Asiago bagels (and other Asiago-flavored breads, like these Magleby knock-off Asiago dinner rolls).

However, I can easily declare that I have never (no never!) made a bread of any sort that inspires the sort of excitement that this Italian Asiago pull-apart bread does.

We’re talking some pretty gushy statements and feelings displayed every time this bread makes an appearance. And this is from boys who have declared themselves too manly to “gush” about anything.

Boys don’t gush, mom.

Uh, apparently they do. About bread. Asiago pull-apart bread.

An Asiago roll getting pulled out of a pan of rolls.

Using my beloved French bread roll recipe as the base (easiest roll recipe ever!), this Italian Asiago bubble bread comes together quickly and simply, which is a good thing, because this is the most requested bread recipe as of late by my family.

I’m buying Asiago cheese in bulk (thanks, Costco), and we’ve never been happier.

I wonder if a batch of this pull-apart Italian Asiago bubble bread would fulfill the “fun” requirement of spring break?

It certainly would for me. I’d willingly work all day out in the cow pasture for a batch of this pull-apart bread staring me in the face.

We’ll see how far I get with the kids. I bet if I throw in some water balloons and a movie, there’ll be no complaints (so happy they are still in the easy-to-please stage of life).

Make this bread, you guys! It’s worth every minute and every calorie. Promise.

Three asiago cheese topped rolls on a small square plate.

Also, if you don’t have yourself a bench knife yet, it comes in incredibly handy for recipes like this Italian Asiago bubble bread where the dough is split into sections (and that’s only one of the million ways I use a bench knife).

In the spirit of gushing, this is my favorite bench knife (I’ve owned several over the years and have gotten rid of all in favor of this one).

The white baking dish in the photos is this HIC 9X13-inch pan. I love this dish! Be aware, though, that even though its advertised as a 9X13-inch, it is slightly smaller than that. I still use it all the time for everything from cornbread to casseroles to rolls (I just avoid it for recipes that would completely fill up a regular 9X13-inch pan).

One Year Ago: Asiago Herb Dinner Rolls 
Two Years Ago: Chopped Cashew Chicken Salad with Homemade Creamy Cashew Dressing
Three Years Ago: Fluffy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

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Easy Italian Asiago Bubble Bread

4.95 stars (60 ratings)

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • ¾ tablespoon instant yeast, or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oil, canola, olive, avocado, grapeseed, etc.
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (86 g) shredded Asiago cheese
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, give or take a little (see note)

Asiago Topping:

  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon total)
  • ½ cup (57 g) Asiago cheese, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a blend of dried oregano/basil

Instructions 

  • For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt, Asiago cheese, and 2 cups of the flour (if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt, cheese, and flour).
  • Begin mixing; continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and the dough is soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.
  • Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
  • Lightly spray a large bowl or container with cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (about an hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
  • Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased (or floured) countertop.
  • For the Asiago topping: in a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, Asiago cheese, and Italian seasoning.
  • Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan.
  • Divide the dough into 14-20 equal pieces and shape the dough into round balls.
  • Roll the top and sides of each ball in the Asiago mixture and place in the prepared pan.
  • Pour/scrape the remaining filling and cheese over the dough.
  • Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Bake the bubble bread for 25-30 minutes, until golden and baked through to the center.
  • Let cool for 5-10 minutes before digging in.

Notes

Flour: the flour amount called for in the dough recipe is just a guideline; I always advise to add flour gradually to yeast dough recipes until a soft dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl. It should be soft and slightly tacky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. The exact amount of flour will depend on a lot of factors (altitude, how each person measures flour, etc).
Asiago: if you want a more noticeable Asiago flavor in the bread dough, try cubing the Asiago cheese instead of grating. You can definitely use more Asiago cheese altogether in the recipe, too! The seasoning in the Asiago topping mixture is highly adaptable – I have a feeling many different Italian-style seasoning blends would work.
Serving: 1 Roll, Calories: 256kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 340mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired by this recipe at KAF, after a reader, Lucy J., sent me the link and idea) – used my own (much-loved) French bread roll recipe and changed up the Asiago topping to use butter and seasonings