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The Spruce / Pete Scherer
This recipe for pull-apart garlic bread uses a traditional from-scratch dinner roll dough. It takes a little time, but most of it is hands-off and it’s worth the extra effort. The rolls are incredibly tender and delicious. Be sure to bake the dough fully. The center takes the longest and a visual check may deceive you, so when in doubt use a thermometer. The dough is baked when the internal temperature is close to 200 F.
Great for indulgent special occasions, family dinners or carb-loading for marathons, these pull-apart rolls are a garlic lover’s heaven. To make a cheesy version, top the rolls in the last 5-10 minutes of baking with shredded cheese.
Ingredients
- For the Sponge:
- 100 grams bread flour
- 60 grams water
- 1 pinch of instant yeast
- For the Dough:
- 300 grams bread flour
- 150 grams water
- 60 grams butter (softened)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 25 grams sugar
- 20 grams dry milk powder
- 9 grams salt
- 3 grams instant yeast
- 1 portion sponge
- For the Garlic Butter Topping:
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 7 cloves garlic (about 40g, minced)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
Steps to Make It
Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.
Prepare the Sponge
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Gather the ingredients.
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Mix together the flour, water, and yeast until it forms a smooth dough.
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Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours.
Make the Dough
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Gather the ingredients.
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Combine the bread flour, water, butter, egg, sugar, dry milk powder, salt, instant yeast, and sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for about 4 minutes, then increase the speed (one or two clicks depending on your mixer) and mix for 2 to 3 minutes more.
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Remove the dough from the mixer and form into a ball by tucking the edges underneath. Lightly oil a medium bowl and place the dough inside it, seam-side down. Cover and leave at room temperature (about 75 F) for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
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Divide the dough into about 16 small pieces that are roughly the same size. Shape each piece into a ball in the same way you did earlier. Leave the dough balls on the counter while you prepare the garlic butter.
Make the Topping and Assemble the Bread
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, add the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes until the garlic softens slightly and is quite fragrant. Do not brown the garlic.
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Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a rubber spatula to scrape the garlic butter into a large bowl. Add the dough balls and gently toss to coat well.
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Place the dough balls in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the dough has almost doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
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Bake for about 30 minutes with the foil on, then remove the foil, drizzle the bread with olive oil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until browned and fully baked. To ensure the bread is completely baked, you may insert an instant-read thermometer into one of the center rolls; it should read close to 200 F.
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Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. De-pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve warm.
Tip
- The ambient temperature is important to consider when making yeasted doughs. If your kitchen is very hot or very cold, you may have to create a more temperate 75 F environment for your dough. For warmth in an otherwise cold kitchen, try a closed oven with the light on. To cool things down on a hot day, try mixing the dough with chilled water.
- Store leftovers wrapped in foil for a day or two.
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