Pull-Apart Cheese and Garlic Bread Draft

How I make it

Dough

1. Sift the flour into a stand mixer bowl. Add the salt and sugar and mix well, then add the yeast and mix again.

2. Attach the dough hook and, on low speed, gradually add the oil, crushed garlic and milk.

3. Knead well until the dough is very soft and elastic. If it feels stiff, add lukewarm milk a tablespoon at a time as it kneads.

4. Move the dough to a clean bowl, pour a little oil over it and turn to coat on all sides.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1½ hours, until doubled.

Garlic butter

1. Melt the butter in the microwave, add the garlic and basil and mix well.

Shaping and baking

1. Roll the dough out into a round about 20 inches (50 cm) across and ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick.

2. Brush with the garlic butter, saving some for later, and scatter the cheese evenly over it.

3. With a pizza wheel or serrated knife, cut into 6 wide strips.

4. Stack the strips on top of each other and cut the stack into 6 pieces.

5. Brush the loaf pan generously with garlic butter and stand the dough pieces upright in it.

6. Let rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

7. Brush the top with a little of the garlic butter and bake for about 30 minutes, until well risen and golden.

8. Take it out and brush the top again with the rest of the butter.

9. Cool briefly, just until you can turn the loaf out of the pan, and serve right away.

What I've learned

• If the strips aren't the same size when I stack them, that's completely fine.
• I don't let the bread cool completely in the pan.