These garlic bread cubes are everything I love about garlic bread, just turned up a notch. They’re big, thick cubes of bread dunked in a parmesan garlic butter and pan-toasted on every side until they’re golden and crunchy. Then they’re layered with mozzarella in a skillet and baked until the cheese is melted and stretchy all the way through. Once it comes out of the oven, a cool, creamy truffle ricotta goes right over the top to seal the deal!

I’m a garlic bread girl through and through. If it’s on the table, I’m reaching for it before anything else. But this version might be my favorite way I’ve ever had it.

It’s inspired by an appetizer I had at North Italia when we went for my sister’s birthday. We ordered a few things for the table, and the garlic bread with truffle ricotta was the best thing we ate there. It beat the pastas and the mains, and it wasn’t close. I kept reaching for more long after everyone else had moved on to their entrées. So of course I had to make it at home.

I’m not sure if this is exactly how they make it, but I deconstructed the method myself based on what I ate, and it looked and tasted the same. I believe they used ciabatta, but I opted for focaccia. It’s soft and airy inside and crisps up beautifully in the pan.

My take is all about getting melty cheese in every single bite. The mozzarella goes on the bottom, in the middle, and on top, so it’s not just a layer sitting on the surface. And the truffle ricotta on top makes the whole thing taste a little fancier than your average garlic bread.

What Makes This One Special

It’s the contrast. You’ve got hot, crispy, garlicky bread and stretchy mozzarella, and then this cold, silky ricotta on top that’s rich with truffle and parmesan. Hot and cold, crunchy and creamy, all in the same bite.

The other thing I love is how the bread gets toasted. Instead of just baking the cubes in the oven, they get dunked in garlic butter and then toasted in a pan on every side. That gives each cube a real crust all the way around. So even after it’s baked under all that cheese, the bread still has crunch to it and doesn’t turn soggy.

And layering the cheese three times means you’re never fishing around for a cheesy piece. Every cube gets some.

What You’ll Need

For the garlic butter, you’ll need:

Melted unsalted butter and grated parmesan
Fresh parsley, minced garlic, and dried oregano
Salt and black pepper

For the truffle ricotta, you’ll need:

Whole milk ricotta and grated parmesan
Olive oil and truffle oil
A splash of heavy cream and whole milk to loosen it up
Salt, to taste

For the skillet, you’ll need:

A loaf of focaccia or ciabatta
Shredded mozzarella
A little butter or olive oil for toasting

Use whole milk ricotta here, not part-skim. It’s creamier and richer, and it gives you that smooth, spoonable texture without turning grainy.

How To Make It

Making the Garlic Butter

Start with the garlic butter, since everything else builds on it. Stir the melted butter together with the parmesan, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl until it’s all combined.

That’s it. It smells incredible right away.

Cutting and Coating the Bread

Cut the bread into big about 1 1/2-inch cubes. You want them chunky so they hold up to the toasting and baking, and still have a soft, fluffy center once they’re done.

Then dip each cube into the garlic butter, turning it so every side gets coated. If you’d rather, you can brush the butter on with a pastry brush instead. Either way works, just make sure all the sides get some.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: Give the garlic butter a stir every so often while you’re dipping. The parmesan and garlic like to sink to the bottom, and you want each cube to pick some up.

Toasting the Bread

This is the step that makes the whole thing.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Then heat a large pan over medium heat with a little butter or olive oil, and add the bread cubes in a single layer. Toast them for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning them until all four sides are golden and crispy.

Work in batches and add a bit more butter or oil between rounds as needed.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: Don’t crowd the pan. If the cubes are packed in too tight, they’ll steam instead of toast, and you’ll lose that crispy crust you’re working for.

Layering and Baking

Grab an oven-safe skillet. One large one works great, or you can use a few mini skillets if you want individual servings. A cast iron skillet is my favorite here because it holds heat so well and gets the bottom layer of cheese nice and crisp.

Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella across the bottom, then pile in half the toasted bread. Scatter more mozzarella over that, then add the rest of the bread and finish with the remaining mozzarella on top.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: The mozzarella amount is flexible. Start with 1 cup, but if your skillet is bigger or you just want it extra cheesy, go ahead and add more.

Making the Truffle Ricotta

While the bread bakes, make the ricotta. Stir the ricotta, olive oil, parmesan, heavy cream, milk, and truffle oil together in a bowl with a spoon until it’s smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.

The cream and milk loosen it up so it’s soft and spoonable instead of thick and pasty. You can skip the heavy cream though and just add milk. And the olive oil gives it a silky richness that makes it taste so much more finished than plain ricotta.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: Truffle oil is strong, and different brands vary a lot. Start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and only go up to 1 1/2 teaspoons if you want more. You can always add, but you can’t take it back.

Topping and Serving

As soon as the skillet comes out of the oven, spoon the truffle ricotta right over the top. Serve it straight from the skillet while the cheese is still stretchy and the bread is hot.

Tips & Variations

This one is easy to make your own once you’ve got the base down. Here are a few ways I like to switch it up.

Use any bread that can be cut into large cubes, like sourdough or a rustic Italian loaf.
White truffle oil is more delicate and aromatic. Black truffle oil is earthier and bolder. Either one works, so use whichever you have.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the garlic butter for a little heat.
Grate a bit of lemon zest into the ricotta to brighten it up.
Drizzle hot honey over the ricotta right before serving for a sweet and spicy finish.
Swap half the mozzarella for provolone for a sharper, saltier cheese flavor.
Serve with warm marinara on the side for dipping.

Make Ahead & Storing Leftovers

The garlic butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Just remelt it before dipping the bread.

The truffle ricotta can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge, give it a stir before using, and add a splash of milk if it has thickened up.

You can also toast the bread a few hours ahead. Leave the cubes uncovered at room temperature so they stay crisp, then layer and bake when you’re ready to serve.

This is best eaten fresh out of the oven. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese melts again. Skip the microwave, which will make the bread soft and chewy.

Craving More Like This? Try These Recipes Out!

The Best Garlic Bread — My go-to classic garlic bread, with one simple secret that makes it fluffy inside and crispy on top.
Chimichurri Garlic Bread — Garlic bread with chimichurri swapped in for the butter, then topped with parmesan and mozzarella.
Philly Cheesesteak Garlic Bread — Cheesy garlic bread loaded with steak, peppers, and caramelized onions.
Hasselback Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese — A garlic butter grilled cheese with a Hasselback-cut top you can tear off one cheesy square at a time.
Whipped Ricotta — Fluffy, creamy whipped ricotta that’s perfect for spreading over warm toast.

If you make this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out — I love hearing from you! And if you snap a photo, don’t forget to tag me over on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations too.

You can also find this recipe and so many more on my Pinterest — perfect for saving to your board for later. And if you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube channel, where I walk you through recipes step-by-step just like this one.