Garlic & Herb Twister Bread

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You will love Garlic & Herb Twister Bread, it makes a great centrepiece for your summer table and is perfect for sharing. Who can resist soft warm bread straight from the oven filled with garlic and herb butter? It’s so delicious, you’ll be back for more.

I like to serve Garlic and Herb Twister Bread with a selection of dips and antipasti but it also works well with main courses such as lasagne and other pasta dishes. At this time of year, the barbecue season, we’ll often have a twister bread ready to rip and share as meats and veggies are cooked on the barbecue. I almost forgot, we love this bread with spicy chilli beans – I reckon it’s so versatile it goes with more or less anything.

At this time of year the Kitchen Shed herb garden has herbs in abundance so I make the most of them and use a big handful for the garlic and herb butter. I like to use oregano, marjoram or basil but chives work well too – be careful if you’re using thyme, it can be quite pungent so use sparingly. In the winter I’ve used parsley to make our twister bread.

When first experimenting with this bread I spread the softened butter straight onto a single piece of dough before I shaped it. Although this made a good bread, too much butter “escaped” so chilling the butter and placing it between two layers of dough pretty much remedied this. Although a small amount of butter still escapes from the dough, you can use it to baste (halfway through the cooking time) as this gives a lovely golden finish to your bread. Also, the chilled garlic and herb butter in between two layers of dough made the twister bread a  lot less messy to twist and shape.

Garlic & Herb Twister Bread

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Garlic & Herb Twister Bread is perfect for sharing! Who can resist soft warm bread straight from the oven filled with garlic and herb butter?

Author: Tales From The Kitchen Shed

Recipe type: Bread

Serves: 6 to 8 portions

Ingredients

Garlic & Herb Butter

• 150 g softened butter
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• A handful of your favourite herbs, parsley, oregano, basil, chives

Bread dough

• 700 g strong white bread flour
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Approx 400 ml tepid water

You will need:

• 2 sheets of baking parchment 40 cm x 24 cm / 16″ x 9″
• 1 small cup or glass greased around the outside
• 1 large baking tray

Instructions

Make your garlic and herb butter:

1. Mix the softened butter with the herbs and garlic. Spread evenly on one layer of baking parchment almost to the edge of the paper.
2. Place the other layer of baking parchment on top of the garlic and herb butter and roll out the butter to the edges. Place in fridge while you make the dough.

Make your dough:

By hand:

1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Add the oil and a little water, mix well adding a little water at a time until you have formed a ball of dough.
3. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover.
5. Leave to rest in a warm place for about one and a half hours or until doubled in size.

By KitchenAid:

1. Add flour, salt, sugar and yeast to the mixing bowl, make a well add the oil and water. Mix on slow speed number 1 for 1 to 2 minutes and then mix on number 2 speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Check your dough is ready by using the windowpane test. Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover.
3. Leave to rest in a warm place for about one and a half hours or until doubled in size.

Assemble your twister bread:

1. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
2. Roll out each piece into rectangles approximately 40 cm x 24 cm / 16″ x 9″
3. Remove the garlic and herb butter from the fridge. Peel back top layer of baking parchment and place the butter face down onto a rectangle of dough. Remove remaining layer of baking parchment from your butter and top with the second rectangle of dough.
4. Cut into 6 equal strands approximately 4 cm / 1 ½” in size.
5. Stack strips on top of each other.
6. Twist together like you would a breadstick to get along twisty rope, try to keep even twists if you can.
7. Curve into a wreath shape and pinch the ends together to complete the circle, leaving a hole in the middle the size of your greased cup or glass.
8. Place around your greased cup or glass on the baking tray and cover with a large upturned bowl or use a large greased polythene bag to cover.
9. Leave to rise in a warm place for approximately 45 minutes to one hour.

Bake your twister bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6
2. See my Kitchen Shed Bread Making Tips to check when your dough is ready for the oven.
3. Remove the glass or cup from the middle of your twisted bread and place the bread in the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes until golden.
4. Half way through baking, baste with any melted garlic and herb butter which escapes whilst cooking.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long !

Notes

Preparation time does not include proving time.

3.5.3208

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THE WINDOW PANE TEST is a consistently reliable way to check your dough is ready. Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it apart, pulling and rotating the dough into a thin membrane, or window pane, which is translucent when you hold it up to the light.

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Pin Garlic & Herb Twister Bread for later.

I’m entering Garlic & Herb Twister Bread into:

• The Teatime Treats Challenge created by Karen over at Lavender & Lovage and hosted by Janie at The Hedgecombers.
• Bready Steady Go co hosted by Michelle from Utterly Scrummy & Jen from Jen’s Food, this month over at Utterly Scrummy.
• Karen’s  Cooking with Herbs Challenge over at Lavender & Lovage.
• Ren’s Simple & In Season challenge over at Ren Behan.

I’m linking  to: