Nut-free option, Soy-free option
This pull-apart bread is absolute heaven. It’s full of garlic, vegan butter and vegan cheese, and is a great dish to please a crowd. Serve it at any get-together, paired with marinara sauce or vegan Ranch Dressing.
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 to 35 minutes
YIELD: 40 pull-apart bites
INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (heated to 100 to 110°F [37° to 43°C])
- 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
- 2¼ tsp (1 [7-g] packet) active dry yeast
- 3½ to 4 cups (437 to 500 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled or weighed)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup (56 g) vegan butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature (nut-free and/or soy-free if needed)
- 1½ cups (170 g) vegan Cheddar shreds (nut-free and/or soy-free if needed)
For Rising
- 1½ tsp (7 ml) canola oil
For the Butter Mixture
- ½ cup (113 g) vegan butter, melted (nut-free and/or soy-free if needed)
- 2 tsp (1 g) dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make the dough: In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and whisk until mostly dissolved. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture foams.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, or in a large bowl, stir together 3½ cups (437 g) of the flour, garlic powder, and salt. Add the room temperature vegan butter and beat until crumbly and well incorporated into the flour. Alternatively, you can mix it with a rubber scraper or large wooden spoon— the butter should break up slightly into the flour, and some large pieces can remain.
- Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add it to the flour mixture. Beat the mixture on low speed or stir with the rubber scraper or wooden spoon, scraping the sides as necessary, until you have a soft but manageable dough. Add more flour, up to ½ cup (62 g), as needed to ensure the dough is not too sticky to handle.
- Either beat the dough in the stand mixer on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes, incorporating more flour as needed so that the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl or to your hands. The dough is ready when you gently press into it and it slowly bounces back. Knead in the Cheddar shreds until they are well incorporated.
- Coat a large bowl with the canola oil. Form the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Turn to lightly coat the ball in oil. Place a clean towel over the bowl. Let rest in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, butter a 12-cup (2.8-L) Bundt pan and set it aside.
- Make the butter mixture: In a small bowl, stir together all the butter mixture ingredients.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch into the dough to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 40 equal-sized balls. Dip each piece into the butter mixture, then place in the Bundt pan. You should have two or three layers of pieces. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until the pieces double in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bake the bread: Once the pieces have almost doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
