Appetizers · By James
Uncle Alex's Swirled Garlic Bread
Dubbed by Uncle Alex and Aunt Kathy as one of the best white breads ever, it is soft and rich, with glorious veins of savoury herb butter. Apparently, it is making the rounds on the island among their friends, an appetizer delight! Alex is our family source for this appetizer bread, but the site he used needs to be accessed to craft the bread properly: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-garlic-herb-bread/ We have baked this loaf already, just a couple of days after Alex passed it along to us, and while it looks tricky to make, when you have the instructions from the original site it comes together easily. And, there is such a great creative feeling in crafting this swirling bread. Thank you, Alex!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm whole milk
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 large eggs
- 3½–4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for serving
- 1–2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
Method
- 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, honey, eggs, 3½ cups flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4–5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2–3 minutes more. If the dough is still sticky, add the additional ½ cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to touch.
- 2
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- 3
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the garlic, parmesan, basil, sage, and thyme in a small bowl.
- 4
Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 × 18 inches. Spread the garlic herb butter evenly over the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal.
- 5
Using a sharp knife, cut the log of dough in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact (go to the website to see images). Turn the halves to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until you have a long, twisted dough.
- 6
Coil half the rope up like a snake, stopping when you reach halfway. Then, coil the second half of the rope in the opposite direction (see website photos). Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
- 7
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the bread to the oven and bake 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bread is cooked through. Brush the top of the loaf with butter.
- 8
Slice and serve warm...with additional butter or dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar — very nice.
A note from James
Original recipe with step photos: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-garlic-herb-bread/
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