About the Recipe
Pull Apart Garlic Bread, also known as Monkey Garlic Bread, is made by combining soft, enriched bread dough with aromatic garlic butter and mozzarella cheese. The dough is divided into small pieces, coated in garlic butter, layered with cheese and proofed in a loaf tin before baking. The result is a soft, cheesy and buttery garlic bread that can be easily pulled apart and enjoyed piece by piece.
Ingredients
DOUGH
Bread Flour (BF): 300 g
Yeast: 8 g
Salt: 5 g
Sugar: 10 g
Butter: 25 g
Milk: 190 g
GARLIC BUTTER
Butter: 120 g
Garlic: 50 g
Chopped Coriander: 10 g
CHEESE
Mozzarella Cheese: 100 g, grated
Preparation
GARLIC BUTTER
Step 1
Add the butter to a pan and melt it over medium heat.
Step 2
Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and mix well.
Step 3
Stir for approximately 2 minutes, then turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool.
Step 4
Blend the garlic and butter mixture until smooth.
Step 5
If the garlic flavour is not potent enough, add some raw garlic and blend again.
Step 6
Once blended, add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
DOUGH
Step 1
Add the milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl. Mix well and leave for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour and salt.
Step 3
Start kneading the dough and knead for approximately 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the soft butter and continue kneading for another 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and well developed.
Step 5
Cover the dough and proof for 1 hour.
Step 6
Fold the dough once it has completed the first proof.
Step 7
Cover and proof for another 1 hour.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
Step 1
Divide the proofed dough into approximately 1-inch pieces.
Step 2
Dip each piece into the prepared garlic butter.
Step 3
Coat or add grated mozzarella cheese to each garlic-butter-coated piece.
Step 4
Transfer all the prepared pieces into a loaf tin.
Step 5
Cover the loaf tin and proof for 1 hour.
Step 6
Bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes.
Step 7
Check that the internal temperature of the bread reaches approximately 94°C.
Step 8
Remove the bread from the oven and leave it in the tin for 10 minutes.
Step 9
Remove the bread from the tin and serve.
Step 10
Optionally, spread some additional garlic butter over the top before serving.
Tips and Tricks:
Allow the garlic butter mixture to cool before blending.
Knead the dough properly after adding the butter to develop a smooth and elastic dough.
Do not skip the folding and proofing stages, as they help create a soft and airy texture.
Coat each dough piece evenly with garlic butter for consistent flavour throughout the bread.
Use grated mozzarella so the cheese distributes evenly between the dough pieces.
The internal temperature should reach approximately 94°C to ensure the bread is properly baked.
Let the bread rest in the tin for 10 minutes after baking before removing it.