Thursdays Rosemary and Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Someone told me recently Thursday is the new Friday because they can work from home. I didn't know what they meant, but I'm always eager to find a reason to have a celebratory cup of tea with some friends.

This was one of the many different types of breads shared with my friend Perry the Winkle when he would visit the troll at the weathertop. A delightful pull apart bread, it’s perfect for when you are sharing with friends or when you want to have a delicious snack all to yourself.

When you are preparing it, make sure you have about 4 hours to prepare it. The prep time takes about 3 hours due to proving and the cooking time is 50 minutes. This recipe makes one loaf.

Now the recipe itself comes in two parts: the dough and the filling. The dough has very exact measurements, but the filling has more room for improvising. Because it is a pull apart bread, it is important to note that when you are figuring out what surface to work on that you have enough space to divide the bread on the lightly floured surface

Ingredients for the Dough:

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk

• 3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 large egg

• 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed*

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 5 Tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, extra soft (see note)

• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup (95g) of your favorite shredded cheese (I tend to go for a parmesan, mozzarella, or white cheddar cheese)

Optional Topping: 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted; flaky/coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the dough:

1. Place the yeast and sugar in the mixing bowl and fold in together. Then heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C). Pour warm milk on top of yeast and sugar mixture and whisk gently to combine with a wooden spoon (or the paddle attachment if you have a new fangled mixer), then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the butter, egg, flour, salt, garlic powder, and rosemary. Beat at a low speed for about three minutes to make the dough soft.

3. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead it for 1 minute. If the dough is too sticky, add 1-3 more Tablespoons of flour, but make sure it stays soft.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, around 60-90 minutes.

5. The best trick for finding a controlled warm environment is this: Preheat the oven to 150°F (65°C), then immediately turn the oven off. Wait a few minutes, then place the dough in the bowl inside the oven with the oven door cracked open. This creates a perfect environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough.

While the dough is rising, grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and make the filling:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the soft butter, rosemary, parsley, garlic, and salt together. If the butter is soft enough, you can just mix it all together with a spoon or fork.

2. Cover tightly and set aside until ready to use. If you put it in the ice box, make sure it gets to room temperature before you assemble the bread.

Assemble the bread:

1. Punch down the dough to release the air.

2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces, each about 1/4 cup of dough and a little larger than a golf ball.

3. Using lightly floured hands, flatten each into a circle that’s about 4 inches in diameter. The circle doesn’t have to be perfectly round. I do not use a rolling pan to flatten, but you certainly can if you want.

4. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of filling mixture onto each.

5. Sprinkle each with 1 Tablespoon of cheese. Fold circles in half and line in a prepared baking pan, round side up. See the photos above for a visual.

6. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes.

7. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

8. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. If you find the top of the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.

9. (Don’t be alarmed if there’s melted butter around the sides of the bread as it bakes, it will seep into the bread before it finishes.)

10. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. If desired, brush with melted butter for topping and sprinkle with sea salt.

11. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and serve warm.

12. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Since the bread is extra crispy on the exterior, it will become a little hard after day 1. Reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10-15 minutes until the interior is soft again.

Adapted from https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/rosemary-garlic-pull-apart-bread/