pat's Recipe

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Category: BREADS

1 cup half-n-half
1 Tbsp sugar
1 (1/4 oz) package active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

Heat half-n-half in a saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Pour into mixing bowl. Add sugar and yeast and let stand until yeast foams, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup flour and salt and mix well. Add remaining flour and mix until a workable dough results, adding water if necessary. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface 10 minutes or with a mixer fitted with dough hooks until dough cleanly pulls away from sides of bowl. Let rest 10 minutes.
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 3 minutes.
Roll dough into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Spread garlic mixture over top of dough. Cut into 4 strips vertically, then horizontally to get 16 (3x2-inch) pieces. Place pieces in a greased 8 1/2-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. (the arrangement will look like an accordion pleat) Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until slices fill pan, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375
Bake about 30 minutes, until golden brown, placing foil on top after 10 minutes. Immediately invert bread onto a wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm. Makes 1 loaf.
Serves 8