Buttery Pull Apart Bread

This is a buttery pull-apart bread that is so good.  It disappears quickly at our house.  They are very easy to make too.  You can put some minced garlic in the dough balls or add it to the melted butter that you roll the balls in.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. yeast or 1 pkg yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 c.very warm water, 110 to 115°
3/4 c. warm milk
1/4 c. sugar
4 to 4 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4 to 4 1/2 c. flour
6 Tbs. butter melted

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.  Grease two loaf pans, or you can use a fluted tube pan.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water.  Set aside in a warm location for 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate or bloom.

Add sugar, 1-cup flour, butter, egg, and salt.  Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. 

Stir in the rest of the flour to form a soft dough.  When it gets too hard to stir, turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead in the remaining flour until the dough is only slightly sticky.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place the bowl in a warm location and allow the dough to rise until doubled, or about 60 to 90 minutes.

Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut off pieces of dough and roll the dough between the palms of your hands to form 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip and roll each dough ball in the melted butter. Place in prepared pan or pans, placing balls on top of each other.

Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm location to rise until doubled in size. This takes about 45 minutes.  Carefully remove the tea towel.

Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.