Buttery Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

5 from 10 votes

Buttery Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

Buttery, tender and delicious, this buttery sourdough pull apart bread is an easy side dish that steals the show! Made with 100% natural yeast, this bread has a great flavor, crispy edges and is downright delicious.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Fermentation/Rise Time11

Total Time11 55

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

mixer
pizza cutter
9 by 5 loaf pan

Ingredients

Levain (1:1:1, ready in 3-4 hours at 78 degrees F)

35 grams ripe/active sourdough starter about 2 Tablespoons
35 grams all-purpose or bread flour about 1/4 cup
35 grams water warmed or cool depending on temperature (see recipe notes), about 2 Tablespoons

Buttery Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

100 grams ripe/active levain about 1/2 cup
200 grams water about 1 cup
1 large egg about 50 grams
50 grams granulated sugar about 1/2 cup
15 grams olive oil or other neutral flavored oil, about 1 Tablespoon
10 grams salt about 1 1/2 teaspoons
470 grams bread flour 12.5% protein content, about 3.5 cups

Assembling

113 grams unsalted butter 8 Tablespoons
2-3 grams salt about 1/2 teaspoon
4-5 cloves minced garlic if desired
1-2 teaspoons favorite dried herb blend if desired

Instructions

Levain (1:1:1, ready in 3-4 hours at 78 degrees F)

Mix together 35 grams of ripe/bubbly/active sourdough starter with 35 grams all-purpose flour and 35 grams water. Cover and keep levain at 78 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours until bubbly, active and ripe.

Buttery Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

To the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the ripe levain, water, egg, granulated sugar, olive oil, salt and bread flour. Mix until completely combined and the dough feels tacky (not super sticky) and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I like to reserve about 70 grams of bread flour (about 1/2 cup) and add it in as the dough kneads together, making sure that I'm not adding too much flour to the dough.
Knead together for 8-10 minutes, adding the rest of the flour as needed, until the dough is soft and smooth. The dough should be tacky to the touch, not overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour, about 20-30 grams at a time.
Bulk Fermentation: Put the dough in a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 76-78 degree F place for 4-5 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to maintain the dough temperature right around 78 degrees F (I use this bread proofer to keep my dough temperature consistent). 78 degrees F is the optimal for fermentation.
At the end of about 4 hours, the dough should be puffed up and feel very elastic. If it doesn't feel this way, let it bulk ferment for another half hour and check again
Overnight Option: At this point, after the bulk fermentation has finished, you can cover the dough and put it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Proceed with the recipe the next day, shaping and proofing the bread before baking. Add a little extra time for the loaf to rise to account for the temperature change.
Assembling: Dump the dough onto a countertop. Roll the dough out into a rectangle and use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 18-24 pieces (depending on how many slices you want in the loaf).
Melt 1/2 cup of butter (113 grams) in a bowl and add a little salt, minced garlic and seasonings if desired. Pour about a third of the butter mixture into a 9 by 5 loaf pan, coating the bottom of the pan.
Take a piece of cut dough and dip/dunk/coat it in the butter mixture. Place it at one edge of the loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, dunking and nestling the pieces into each other until you've filled the whole loaf pan. Pour any remaining butter mixture over the top of the bread. The pan will be full and the pieces of dough will be nestled up against each other.
Proofing: Cover the loaf pan with a dish towel and let rise in a 80-85 degree F place until puffed up, doubled in size and risen, about 2-3 hours. Do not bake this loaf if the dough has not risen. If the dough was refrigerated before assembling, it may take a little longer to rise.
Baking: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Press your finger into the risen loaf and if the indentation stays and springs back just a little, it is ready to bake. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until baked all the way through. Let cool for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a serving platter. Pull apart the bread and enjoy!

Notes

Sourdough Starter: This recipe calls for a levain, but bubbly, active, ripe sourdough starter can be substituted if desired.

Nutrition