Pull Apart Christmas Tree Garlic Bread

© Provided by Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic

• extra virgin olive oil

• 3/4 cup warm whole milk

• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 large eggs

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 stick + 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 pinch chili flakes

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400° F.

• Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up, and bake for 40-55 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4-1/2 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a bowl. Add 1 stick butter, the parmesan, sage, basil, oregano, parsley, and chili flakes. Mash the cloves into the butter with a fork.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each dough into a large rectangle (roughly 15x11 inches). Place one rectangle on top of the other. To cut a large triangle, cut from the bottom corner to the center of the top. Repeat on the other side to make a large triangle in the middle. Peel away the corners and save for another use.

• Separate the 2 triangles and place 1 triangle on the prepared baking sheet. Spread 2/3 of the garlic butter over the triangle, carefully place the second triangle on top, matching the corners. Cut the triangle into horizontal slices about 1 inch apart from the top to bottom, leaving the middle “trunk” of the tree intact. Pull the strips and twist (see above photo).

• Brush the top with the remaining garlic butter. Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.