Garlic Herb Pull-Apart Bread

Add lukewarm milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in active dry yeast and sugar. Allow to “proof” for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.

Add in olive oil, garlic powder, and dried rosemary (or other dried herbs) and whisk to combine. Add in bread flour and salt and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix into a shaggy dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when gently poked. If the dough seems too wet and is sticking excessively to your hands or the work surface, gradually work in extra flour about 2 tablespoons at a time, until the correct consistency is achieved.

When the dough is nice and elastic, shape it into a ball. Drizzle the inside of the mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside, turning to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm area in your kitchen.

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 roughly even-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by tucking the edges underneath. Place them seam-side down on your work surface and let them rest for about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter with the chopped rosemary, parsley, minced garlic, salt, and (optional) shredded cheese to form a paste. Set aside.

Using a rolling pin, roll each of the dough balls out to a circle, roughly 0.25” thick and 6” in diameter. It’s okay if the circles are slightly irregular in shape.

Divide the garlic herb butter evenly between the 12 discs of dough. Spread the butter across each piece of dough to cover it. Cut each dough circle in half, forming half-moon shapes.

Stack 6 half-moons on top of each other. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, creating 4 stacks, each with 6 half-moon pieces of dough. Grease a standard loaf tin and transfer the stacks into the tin, standing up.

Lightly cover the loaf with the same plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel used previously. Let this loaf rise for about 30-45 minutes, or until slightly puffy, but not doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the rack in the lower middle position in this time.

Once the loaf looks slightly puffy, with the dough risen to just about the height of the loaf tin, place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 50-55 minutes. If it seems like it’s getting too dark, loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

Carefully remove the loaf from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing it to serve. It's best enjoyed warm!