Thanksgiving this year was a smaller affair. We usually go over to my sister and brother-in-law’s house to have our feast with them and my sister’s in-laws. This time we did get together with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Please note, that moving forward, until the pandemic is over, we will no longer be gathering in person. Since we were scaling back, I made sure to do the same with the food that I was tasked with making. Instead of roasting a whole turkey, I only made a bone-in turkey breast.
For years, I have wanted to try my hand at making the rolls from scratch for Thanksgiving. After searching for ideas, I settled on parmesan sage pull apart bread. I had everything planned out so that I was not cooking/baking all of the dishes the day of. But even the best laid plans go awry once in a while, no? So, what went wrong you ask? The bread!
I believe it was a combination of mistakes on my part and some changes needed with the recipe that contributed to a burnt and not appetizing first batch. The combo of mistakes:
- Killing the yeast with too hot of water.
- Burning the browned butter, garlic and sage mixture.
- Bread not rising enough, due to the killed yeast.
- Too high of an oven temperature.
- Left in the oven too long.
After pulling the disastrous first batch out of the oven, I immediately made a second batch, which turned out much better! For the second batch, there were a few things I changed:
- Using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.
- Making sure the bread rose properly by using the bread proofing option on my oven.
- Changing the saucepan I used for the browned butter and not burning it.
- When ready to bake, lowering the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Baked for a slightly shorter time.
First Batch of Pull Apart Bread 
Second Batch of Pull Apart Bread
If you are looking to try something different for your Thanksgiving feast, or anytime, try this parmesan sage pull apart bread!
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Parmesan Sage Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients:
2 1/2 – 3 Cups Flour
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2/3 Cup Warn Whole Milk (lukewarm)
1 Packet Active Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Honey
4 Eggs (3 for the dough, 1 beaten for brushing)
8 Tablespoons Butter (1 stick), softened
1 – 2 Cloves Garlic
16 Fresh Sage Leaves
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the honey, warmed milk and yeast. Let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the yeast mixture, 2 1/2 cups of flour, 3 eggs and 2 tablespoons of butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4 to 5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, make the sage butter. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter, garlic and sage in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat and cook the butter until it begins to brown and the sage is crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool, then smash the garlic with a fork. Chop the crispy sage. Stir the garlic, sage, browned butter together with the 4 remaining tablespoons of softened butter.
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
W
Lhen the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and roll it into a ball using your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 12×18-inches. Spread the sage butter mixture over the dough. Starting with the edge of the dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log.
Cut the log into 8 equal rolls, pinch the ends to seal, then arrange in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place.
Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is browned.
Serve on your favorite platter or cutting board. Enjoy!
Recipe curtesy of Half Baked Harvest
Vintage Baker 