That’s one of the reasons I really can’t do this loaf justice. My family likes to eat; and I cook and bake so that I can feed them. Hundreds of pictures to get the perfect one is less exciting than full bellies. The only problem with this recipe, that I found, was that there is no size for the bundt pan. We used a 10-inch bundt pan which was much larger than originally projected. Because of that, I only had a 2-layer bread. In the end, it doesn’t matter–the amount of food is the same. However, if you want a beautiful looking loaf, use a smaller pan or double the recipe.
Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread (adapated from here)
Serves: 6
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour until well-combined. Then, knead the dough by hand, about 7-10 minutes until elastic and smooth. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside. Tear off small pieces of dough, coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers (we have a big bundt pan – 10 inches – so it only was 2 layers). Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve with pasta sauce (marinara) if desired.
Until the next time my oven is on…
