Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Garlic and Herb Bubble Bread


It's the simple pleasures right now.  Soon, I'll be planting flowers outside but we're not there yet, weather-wise.  Frost warning last night. Time for soup and some bread!  Or, just bread :)  


I found this recipe for Garlic and Herb Monkey Bread in my Bread Machine Magic cookbook and wanted something to add to our grilled salmon dinner last week.  My husband loved it so much I made it for him again when we had soup this week.  It is delicious! I prefer the term bubble bread to monkey bread just because it just sounds more appetizing :)  "Bubble" refers to the balls of dough that look like bubbles on top when they rise. 


My first attempt at making this bread, I used a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  The bread rose so high that it made a 'shelf ' across the top because of the pan I used.  Not the prettiest, but it still tasted great. The dough is cut into small pieces and each piece is dipped into garlic and herb-infused butter as it is placed into the baking pan.  After rising and baking, the bread pulls apart into small bite-sized pieces.


The second time I made it, I used a chiffon cake pan which worked much better and created more browning in the center.  Any pan with a flat bottom and higher sides should work.   I would not recommend a bundt pan as bundt pants are rounded on the bottom.   This bread gets tipped out of the pan after baked and then inverted again onto a serving plate so the 'bubble' part is on top.


You don't need to have a bread machine to make this bread and, if you're lucky, you have found yeast and flour after the hoarding began in late March and April. 


I hope you can give this bubble bread a try next time you're in a baking mood as it's worth the effort!
I'm including ingredient amounts below for small, medium and a large recipes.  I hope you enjoy it!


Just wanted to add a special thank you to both of my daughters for arranging a wonderful, social distancing Mother's Day visit on Sunday.  Along with flowers and some special gifts from them, I was also given some artwork made especially for me by my 3 grandsons.  They are placed in order by age, 4, 7 and 10.   The last one, my daughter painted as an extra Mother's Day card.

While I've been Covid baking, they've been Covid painting.  Keeping them busy is essential right now with no school since mid March.  They paint almost every day after they do their online schoolwork.  The 4 year old has no school work so he is just on vacation :) 

Hope you are all well and continue to stay safe.

Garlic and Herb Bubble Bread


Printable Recipe

Dough (Small Recipe for a (8-1/2 x 4-1/4 inch loaf pan)

3/8 cup warm water
3/8 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Dough (Medium Recipe for a tube pan or large loaf pan 9 x 5)

½ cup warm water
½ cup sour cream
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Dough (Large Recipe for 2, 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 loaf pans)

5/8 cup warm water
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups all purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Herb butter (ingredients for small, medium and large recipe)

1, 2, 3 small garlic cloves, minced (small, medium, large recipe)
3 tablespoons, 4 Ts, or 6 Ts melted butter (small, medium or large recipe)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Note: Increase or decrease herbs 1/2 teaspoon for each size recipe. I like a lot of herbs. Garlic can be optional if you don't care for it. 

Thoroughly butter the pan you chose to use whether it be a loaf pan or tube pan.

If you have a bread machine, combine water and sour cream and warm gently. Melted butter. Pour liquids into pan of bread machine. Add sugar, salt, flour and lastly, yeast. Turn on dough setting, which takes about 1-1/2 hours to mix and rise. Note: If conditions are dry in your home, you may need to add a little more water, so watch the dough carefully as it's mixing. It should be soft and pliable but hold together in a ball.

If you do not have a bread machine, you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook to mix and knead until the dough is pliable, about 2 minutes. Place into a greased bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel and place in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature in your home). Alternately, you can mix the dough by hand, kneading the dough until soft and pliable, about 8-10 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (Tip - turn your oven on to preheat for 1 minute and then turn off. This makes a good warm place for the dough to rise.)

When your dough is almost finishing rising, mix the herb butter ingredients together.

After the bread machine has finished the dough setting, or after your dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1-2 minutes to release the air. Form into a ball.

Cut the ball in half, then each half into half again. Keep cutting the pieces in half the pieces are roughly the size of a walnut. Exact size is not crucial.

Dip each piece of dough into the herb butter mixture and arrange in layers spaced about ½ inch apart in the prepared pan. If you have extra butter mixture, drizzle over the top of the bread. Cover pan with a tea towel and place in a warm place until doubled again. This will take about 30-35 minutes. (Tip – turn on your oven to preheat for 1 minute and then turn off. This makes a good warm place for the dough to rise).

When the dough is almost finished rising, take it out of the oven but keep it covered. Preheat oven to 375F. Remove tea towel and place pan in the 375F oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your pan, or golden brown on top. Watch closely, as ovens differ. Add or subject time accordingly.

When bread is finished, remove from oven and invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Then invert again onto a serving dish so that the ‘bubbles’ are on top. Brush bread with extra melted butter, if desired. Note: If I think the bread looks too pale on the bottom after removing from the pan, sometimes I carefully put it back in the oven without the pan and leave it in for another 5 minutes.

46 comments:

  1. Great bread, Susan! You had me at garlic and I can imagine how delicious it is! Have a good rest of the week!

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    1. Thank you, Pam! It is our new favorite dinner roll. Covid baking, covid eating :)

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  2. Such a beautiful bread recipe! I love the combo of garlic and herbs and I bet they are very tasty. So glad that you had a special and wonderful Mother's Day, Susan.

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    1. Thank you, Angie! It was delicious and Mother's Day was brought so much joy!

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  3. I've made loaves, rolls and used my poor bread machine tirelessly... Bubble bread is something I think we'd really enjoy! (If Sunday dinners ever start up again:@) Take care Susan!

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    1. My bread machine is one large appliance that I never regret buying :) Thank you, Lynn! Hope we can all have family dinners again soon.

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  4. Dear Susan this looks absolutely beautiful and delicious !! Love make bread!!
    take care !

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    1. Thank you so much, Gloria! Baking keeps me busy these days :) We love this savory bread.

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  5. Oh Susan, I am loving this bubbles cover with butter, garlic and herbs...I would much on them until all is gone. Thanks for the recipe.
    Have a lovely rest of the week and stay safe!

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    1. It is very tempting to eat it all :) Thank you, Julianna, and hope you have a lovely weekend.

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  6. This looks delicious Susan and I'm sure we would love it.

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    1. Thanks, Larry! Warm from the oven it is dangerously good :)

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  7. I've made some but now I want yours..love the smaller batch and I have your Le Creuset in Blue:)I would just pick off ever bubble..the artwork..♥♥♥

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    1. Thank you, Pea! I love the crunchy bubbles on top too :) Our JoAnn stores are opening next week. I need frames for those masterpieces ♥

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  8. The bubble bread looks fabulous, Susan!! I appreciate you giving us amounts for three sizes of pans. Your Mother’s Day artwork is such a lovely gift. I’ll bet you loved seeing your family’s faces with the drive by. Happy baking!

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    1. It was wonderful, thank you, Kitty! I long for the day when our kids don't have to worry about making us sick or getting sick themselves. So worrisome still, especially in large metropolitan areas such as ours.

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  9. Oh my! This bread looks so nice and soft! I can almost smell it from here! And also, happy mother's day to you!

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    1. Thank you, Sam! We really enjoy it ;) Hope you had a great Mother's Day too!

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  10. I've never even heard of bubble bread but this looks absolutely marvellous! I have finally been able to find yeast and flour so I am good to go. Thanks so much for sharing this!

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    1. Thank you, Katerina! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did :)

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  11. bubble bread! I never knew of this! love those paintings!

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    1. It was my first time making this type of bread myself. Aren't the paintings the best. Wish I could see those boys ♥

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  12. I haven't had or made bubble bread in a long time. Thanks for the recipe and the pan suggestions. Looks like a good project while I have so much time and we gotta eat!!

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    1. Thank you, Judee! I hope you enjoy is as much as we do. Thankfully, warmer weather is coming so I can get outdoors and work off the calories :)

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  13. This looks delicious and I love the fact that you renamed it Bubble Bread, much more appealing. Here in FL our governor is beginning to lift restrictions which I think is a good thing but since I am high risk I'm not willing to venture out just yet. Probably won't for a while to come. Your paintings are priceless, glad you had a Happy Mother's Day.

    Carolyn

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    1. Thank you, Carolyn! You may have read our governor's stay at home order was overturned by the State Supreme Court. People packing themselves into bars the very first night. So careless. What people don't realize is the virus is still out there and it is not a hoax. My husband and I won't be going into crowded places any time soon either. I won't really feel safe until there is a vaccine. Stay safe!

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  14. Bubble bread is a perfect name. I've made a sweet saffron monkey bread but I've never made a savory one. Well that's changing, as I'll be giving this one a go for our next Sunday's dinner.
    Sounds like you had a great Mother's day despite the circumstances.

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    1. Thank you, Ron, and I hope you enjoy it! It's so tempting not to make it more often and it sounds perfect for a Sunday dinner. Yes, my girls did a great job lifting my spirits ♥

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  15. Love this bubble bread Susan, I think I will give it a try! And your grandsons are adorable to paint you something for Mother’s Day!! Have a wonderful Memorial weekend! Stay safe and well.

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  16. Susan,
    You can come over to my place and 'Covid Bake' any time! This monkey bread sounds divine and so savory, instead of sweet! Love it! Thanks for sharing the darling artwork! My house is covered with our grandsons' art too. Very uplifting now and always.
    Stay safe my friend!
    Roz

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  17. I love garlic anything and I have yet to try bubble bread! I rally must do this. And painting? Wish I could find time for that! What fun! Need to get my flowers planted this weekend, too!

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  18. Their painting is wonderful, full of love.
    Happy sunday to you all.

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  19. Happy Mothers Day to a wonderful Mom! The bread looks delicious and super soft! Thanks for sharing!

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  20. I'm sure I could eat a whole batch of these rolls!

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  21. Ahhh yes! Love this with garlic and herbs.

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  22. nice bread but i have a question how much calories int this bread?

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  23. You mustn't put this bread near me, I wouldn't be able to stop.
    Amalia
    xo

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  24. This looks so tasty, Susan! It would make a nice appetizer to share with family and friends

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  25. This looks amazing and I think it must be delicious too.

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  26. This looks wonderful, soft and chewy. My kind of bread.

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  27. There is nothing that gives me more pleasure than a tasty garlic bread. This one is definitely a show stopper!

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  28. The end result of your bread looks perfect. Very tasty and suitable as a friend to drink tea or coffee.
    Thank you for the recipe.
    Greetings from Indonesia.

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  29. I can certainly understand why your husband loved the bubble bread. It looks amazing. What a perfect bread for a party (eventually).

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  30. Just spotted this one. My mouth is watering looking at the pictures! Thanks for providing measurements for those of us who need to make smaller loaves.

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