About
How buttery are the bites of this Oven-Fresh Pull-Apart Bread? Well, they're in fact self-buttering! Each tender and golden piece that you will pull apart from the loaf is filled with an herb-butter, which gets absorbed by the bread while it bakes. The bread is just so rich, aromatic, and delicious. Oven-Fresh Pull-Apart Bread is the kind of tear-and-share bread you can bring out at the fanciest dinner parties and receive a happy applause for!
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 (0.25-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/8 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more, to taste, for greasing the bowl
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more, to taste, for dusting a work surface
- For the herb-butter:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more, to taste, for greasing the pans
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Step 1 -In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the yeast, the warm water, and 1/8 teaspoon of the sugar and stir to combine.
Step 2 -Allow the yeast mixture to stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 -Set the stand mixer on low speed and begin mixing the yeast mixture.
Step 4 -Add 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, the milk, 1 tablespoon of the salt, the remaining sugar, and the eggs to the yeast mixture and mix to combine.
Step 5 -Slowly add 4 1/2 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture, while it runs on low speed, and mix until it just comes together into a dough.
Step 6 -Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the dough until it is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Step 7 -Using the extra melted butter, lightly coat a large bowl.
Step 8 -Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Step 9 -Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area and allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
Step 10 -In a small bowl, add 1 stick of the remaining room temperature butter, the garlic, the chives, the parsley, and the remaining salt and stir to combine. Set the herb-butter aside.
Step 11 -Using the extra room temperature butter, lightly grease two (5x9-inch) loaf pans.
Step 12 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface.
Step 13 -Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface.
Step 14 -Roll the dough into a 12x6-inch rectangle.
Step 15 -Spread the herb-butter evenly over one side of the dough.
Step 16 -With a pizza cutter, cut the dough lengthwise into 3 equal strips.
Step 17 -Cut the dough crosswise into 4 equal sections, forming 12 squares.
Step 18 -Fold each of the dough squares in half.
Step 19 -Add 6 of the folded dough squares, fold-sides down, to each of the prepared loaf pans.
Step 20 -Cover the pans with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until the dough does not spring back when pressed with a finger, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 21 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 22 -Bake the loaves until golden, 25-30 minutes.
Step 23 -Allow the loaves to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 24 -Turn the loaves out of the pans and serve.
