Easy Herb Swirled Garlic Bread
Even though I like the challenge of making things from scratch, I won’t say no to an easy bread recipe. Call it what you want, but I like shortcuts. Don’t we all? Especially considering how fast this bread gets devoured straight from the oven, it’s better that I don’t spend the full day slaving away. This recipe (modified a bit from Half Baked Harvest) is so straightforward and so delicious, plus it’s the perfect way to use up all our wilty leftover herbs. I used the Rockcrok Everyday Pan from Pampered Chef to bake mine, but I’m sure you could use a dutch oven for the same results!
Recipe
Easy Herb Swirled Garlic Bread
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm whole milk
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 tablespoons honey
3 large eggs
3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for drizzling
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, basil, thyme and italian parsley)
Oil for pan
Directions
In a bowl, combine milk, yeast, honey, eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Use the dough hook on an electric stand mixer to mix until the flour is incorporated (about 5 minutes). Add a couple tablespoons of room-temperature butter, and mix until combined for a couple more minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add a bit more flour, until dough is smooth to the touch.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
While you wait, strip herbs off stem and add to manual food processor and roughly chop. (You can also chop by hand if that’s easier for you!) Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and the garlic, and pulse until combined.
Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle. Spread butter mixture evenly over the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. Flip final edge to the bottom.
Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Turn the halves to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, twisting the dough into one long rope, carefully keeping the filling side to the outside as much as possible.
Tie rope in a knot. Lightly oil Rockcrok Everyday Pan and carefully transfer dough knot to pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Bake bread uncovered at 350 F for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bread is cooked through. If the top starts to brown too much, tent a piece of foil on the top for the last 10 minutes or so.
Allow the bread to sit for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. Remove using a spatula, slice and serve warm with more butter!
Recipe barely adapted from Half Baked Harvest
