Butterflake Herb Bread or Pull Apart Bread
I have been trying to bake the recipes in the King Arthur Baking Contest – sadly I found out about it far too late to enter but still want to challenge myself. I’ve baked a couple of them already like the star bread,(I did play with the filling a little) but today’s recipe for Butterflake Herb Bread – or pull apart bread as I call it – was a totally new bread for me.
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Butterflake Herb Bread
Makes two loaves
- 1 cup (227g) milk
- 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, cold
- 3 tablespoons (35g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 4 to 4 1/4 cups (482g to 510g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons (21g) potato flour or 1/3 cup (21g) dried potato flakes, optional, for increased moistness
Filling
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
To make the dough:
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- Combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl; or in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the butter melts. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
- While the mixture cools, weigh 4 cups (480g) of flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
- Transfer the cooled milk mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the eggs, yeast, flour, and potato flour and mix to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough — using your hands, a stand mixer, or your bread machine set on the dough cycle — until it’s smooth. The dough will remain somewhat sticky, but should definitely form a ball. During the summer, or in a warm/humid climate, you’ll probably find you have to add the remaining 1/4 cup (30g) flour.
- Place the dough in a greased container, cover, and let it rise for about 90 minutes, until it’s puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk.
To make the filling:
- While the dough is rising, place the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
- After the dough has risen, deflate it and divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, place the dough on a lightly greased or lightly floured surface (your preference), and roll/pat it into a 12″ circle about 1/4″ thick.
- Cut 3 1/2″ to 4″ circles with a cutter, large canning jar lid, or English muffin ring; you should have about 10 circles.
- Spread the butter-herb filling on half of each circle, fold in half, and place fold-side down in a lightly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough, filling another 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ bread pan.
- Or place all of the circles in a 12″ x 4″ x 2 1/2″ loaf pan. Shape any scraps into small rolls; or butter them, and pile them into the wells of a muffin tin. They won’t look pretty, but they’ll taste just fine.
- Cover the pan(s) with greased plastic and let the dough rise for about 90 minutes, until it’s puffy and starting to fill the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Uncover the loaves and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes. Bread baked in a ceramic pan will take 5 to 7 minutes longer to bake than in a metal one. Tent the loaves with foil if they look like they’re browning too quickly.
- Remove the bread from the oven; brush it with additional melted butter, if desired. Turn the loaves out of the pan, and serve warm.
- Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
How Was the Pull Apart Bread?
Yummy! There is not much more to be said. The bread was light and the filling was garlicky, buttery and just plain delicious.
This was the perfect bread to serve with the chicken stew that I made (that recipe will be up in the next few days.) I can also envision this recipe with cinnamon sugar instead of the garlic and herbs. It’s a rustic looking loaf but it is oh, so good.
If you are not going to eat both loaves at one meal wrap one well (I use wax paper then foil) and freeze the loaf. Thaw it when you are ready to use it. You can warm it in the oven before serving.
