Parmesan, Black Pepper and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Whether you’re serving with soup or salad or simply craving a snack, this cheesy bread will hit the spot. To create this savory treat, the dough is divided into 12 pieces and flattened into rounds, then topped with a filling of softened butter, grated Parmesan and minced garlic. Each round is folded in half, like a taco, and placed in a loaf pan with the open side up. After baking, the bread is finished with more cheese and black pepper. You can also add a garnish of flaky sea salt and thyme sprigs if you like. Since this is a yeast bread, you’ll need to allow time for the dough to rise twice before baking.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) milk, heated to 110° to 112°F (43° to 44°C)
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/3 cups plus 3 Tbs. (10 1/4 oz./320 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Canola oil for greasing
For the filling:
- 5 Tbs. (2 1/2 oz./75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz./185 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
For the topping:
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the yeast, sugar and milk. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom; the mixture should look frothy and alive. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add the butter, egg, flour and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat until the dough feels very soft, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead with the base of your palms until the dough is cohesive and smooth, about 1 minute. If it is too wet, add 1 to 3 Tbs. more flour until the dough is no longer sticky but is still very soft. Shape the dough into a mound.
Grease a large bowl with canola oil. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and turn once or twice to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm spot until the dough is doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
To make the filling, in a medium bowl, combine the butter, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper and stir until cohesive. Set aside at room temperature.
Coat a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Gently punch down the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a log about 12 inches (30 cm) long, then divide into 12 equal pieces.
Using lightly floured hands, flatten each piece of dough into a round about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Divide the filling mixture evenly among the rounds, then spread it over the top of each round. Fold the rounds in half and line them up in the prepared pan, with the open side facing up. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until the dough is puffy and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
Remove the plastic wrap from the loaf pan, transfer to the oven and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out onto a serving platter or board. Brush the top of the loaf with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and a few generous grindings of pepper, then serve warm. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
Recommended Products
-
$34.95
-
$69.95
-
$19.95
-
$139.95
-
$36.95
-
$14.95
