If you love the smell of warm bread baking in the oven, then you’re sure to enjoy this festive recipe. Soft pillowy pull-apart bread is studded with winter herbs, fresh garlic and freshly grated parmesan. Is your mouth watering yet? This savoury bread is sure to be a favourite over the holiday season, whether it’s paired with a more traditional sit down meal, a cozy soup dinner, or perhaps it will be the perfect accompaniment to a wine and charcuterie night. No doubt it will look beautiful displayed amongst your holiday tablescapes and food presentations. Hope you enjoy!

Winter Herb & Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread
Serves 8-10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 35-45 minutes

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Ingredients
1 ½ cups milk
4 tsp active dry yeast
4 ½ – 4 ¾ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 ½ tsp salt

Filling
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of fresh rosemary, chopped
Handful of fresh sage, chopped
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated 

Butter for greasing the pan

Directions
1.  In a medium saucepan, gently heat the milk until just warm, remove the saucepan from the heat and place in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the yeast and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-6 minutes until a creamy foam and bubbles form on the surface.

2. Add in the 4 ½ cups of flour, granulated sugar, butter, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed using the dough hook for 2-3 minutes until the flour is fully incorporated. If the dough looks too wet, start to add the additional ¼ of flour. Keep mixing for an additional 4-5 minutes, the dough should start to pull away from the sides and look silky. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place in your kitchen.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the filling and set aside.

4. Grease an angel food cake pan with butter and place on a lined baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

5. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. (If your dough is too soft at this point you can pop it into the freezer for a few minutes to firm).

6. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, next cut the dough into approximately 4” x 4” squares.

7. Next stack 3-4 squares together and place them into the cake pan spacing out each stack by an inch or two.

8. Leave in a warm area to proof for around 30-40 minutes.

9. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan before removing. 

*The bread will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.