It’s been a while since I’ve made a recipe so good that I have a hard time finding words to do it justice. With this one… I’m stumped.

Sure, the garlic-butter-caramelized-onion combo could be described as slightly sweet and rich. But more appropriately: transcendent. God-adjacent. Depression-curing. Nirvana-inducing. The bread form of Ketamine.

And while all of that is true, it still falls short of just how remarkable the experience of eating this bread fresh out of the oven is. So you’ll just have to make it yourself to really get the full picture.

I wish I could take credit for coming up with this but in reality 1.) pull apart bread has been around forever 2.) specifically, sourdough garlic butter pull apart bread has been making waves on the internet for months and 3.) the sourdough sandwich bread I’m using as the base for this recipe actually from The Clever Carrot.

But did I take all of that and decide it needed caramelized onions and fresh spring onions peppered in? You bet your ass I did.

I’m getting bored so let’s just get to the recipe.

Spring Onion Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

active cook time is 1 hour, makes 1 loaf but can be doubled

You need:

1 bulk risen and ready-to-shape sourdough sandwich bread OR sandwich bread recipe of your choice OR 1 can Pillsbury pizza crust
2 tablespoons olive oil + more for bread assembly
4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 sweet onions or white onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
15-20 cloves garlic, peeled
2 spring onions (or chives or green onions), finely chopped
Salt and pepper

Ensure your bread recipe is ready to be shaped and baked—depending on which of the options outlined above this will look different, but regardless it should be ready for shaping, final proofing and baking! Divide the dough into nine or ten even portions. You can be as exact or as crude as you want here. Set aside.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pre-heat your even to the temperature outlined in the bread recipe you are using. See notes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, one tablespoon butter, onions, sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper, once the onions begin the simmer and the butter / oil is bubbling, lower the head to medium-low and cook for another twenty minutes, stirring often. You can use at this stage or you can put on the lowest setting and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until fully caramelized. Set aside.
Use a mortar and pestle or food processor to grind the garlic into a paste. Place garlic into a mixing bowl.
Add the 3 tablespoons butter and a pinch of salt and pepper to the garlic and mix thoroughly to combine. Mix in the caramelized onions.
Assemble your bread by flattening a piece of the dough to roughly the shape of your palm, adding a spoonful of the onion and garlic mix, sprinkling on chopped spring onions, and folding the dough over itself to create a dumpling shape. Brush with olive oil on both side and place into your prepared loaf pan. Repeat until all dough and filling is used.
Place your loaf pan on a baking sheet to avoid any oil-spillage while baking.
If using the sourdough sandwich bread recipe linked above, bake for 50 minutes. Otherwise, follow the baking instructions on the bread recipe you use, adding five minutes of cook time. Bread should be a deep golden brown when finished.
Let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

Notes: For the sourdough sandwich bread recipe linked above, I pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F, put my loaf inside, and immediately lower to 375 degrees F for the rest of the cook time. This ensures it gets a nice puffy rise.