Description
This Sourdough Garlic Pull Apart Bread is a delightful combination of chewy sourdough infused with savory garlic and topped with crispy edges. Perfect for sharing, this bread is an indulgent treat that will impress everyone at your table.
Ingredients
- Active Sourdough Starter
- Strong Bread Flour
- Water
- Fine Sea Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Parsley
- Optional Add-ins: Grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your active sourdough starter, warm water, and bread flour. Mix until just combined and shaggy – no dry spots remain. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes (this is called autolyse). After the rest, sprinkle the salt over the dough. With wet hands, gently incorporate the salt by squeezing and folding the dough for a few minutes until it feels slightly smoother. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
- Over the next 3-4 hours (or longer, depending on your kitchen temperature and starter activity), perform 3-4 sets of 'stretch and folds' every 30-45 minutes. To do this, lightly wet your hands, grab a portion of the dough, gently stretch it upwards, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat 3-4 times until you’ve worked your way around the dough. After the final fold, cover the bowl and let the dough continue to bulk ferment until it has visibly increased in size (usually 30-50% larger), feels airy, and has a domed top. This could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours depending on conditions.
- For deeper flavor development and easier handling, lightly oil your proofing bowl or container. Gently transfer the dough, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 8-16 hours. If you're skipping the cold proof, proceed to step 4 once the dough has finished its bulk ferment.
- While your dough is finishing its cold proof or bulk ferment, prepare your garlic butter. In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Mince your fresh garlic very finely and finely chop your fresh parsley. Stir the minced garlic and parsley into the melted butter. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Gently turn out your dough. Carefully roll it into a large rectangle, about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Don't worry about perfect edges.
- Generously brush about two-thirds of the garlic butter mixture evenly over the entire surface of the rolled-out dough.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the buttered dough into approximately 2-inch wide strips. Stack these strips on top of each other, one by one. Once you have a stack, cut the stack again into approximately 2-inch wide segments. You'll end up with little squares or rectangles, all buttered and ready to be arranged.
- Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan well. Take each stack of buttered dough segments and carefully arrange them upright in the loaf pan, side-by-side, creating rows of layered dough. Don't pack them too tightly, as they will need room to expand.
- Cover the loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough proof in a warm spot for 1.5-3 hours, or until it looks puffy and has risen significantly. It should fill out the pan well. This is your final proof.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle. Once preheated, uncover the loaf pan and brush the top of the dough with the remaining garlic butter mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-210°F (93-99°C). For extra crispy edges, you can often hear a slight sizzling from the butter, and the bottom should also be golden.
- Once baked, carefully remove the bread from the oven. If you like, brush with a little more melted butter (or even a tiny bit of olive oil for shine). Let it cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack. Serve warm and enjoy pulling apart those delicious, crispy-edged pieces!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40-50 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Keywords: For really crispy, flavorful edges, don't be shy with the garlic butter! Brush it generously on your rolled-out dough and save some for brushing over the top before baking. Darker metal pans tend to conduct heat better and can contribute to crispier edges compared to glass or ceramic.