Where are you my busy little bees, what delicious things are you making in your kitchens these days? The moment it got a bit colder here and the first hints of snow appeared, it felt like the perfect time to make an aromatic, savory rose-shaped butter bread. I kept seeing this recipe everywhere online, it was popping up from all sides, so I simply had to roll up my sleeves and give it a try. 👩🏼🍳
I started by kneading the dough with almost a whole cube of fresh yeast (I used about 35 g out of the usual 42g), 300 ml of warm (not hot) milk, two teaspoons of salt, one and a half teaspoon of sugar, 100 ml of sunflower oil, 2 whole eggs and roughly 600 g of white wheat flour. I kneaded it nicely until it became smooth, then left it in a bowl covered with a cloth to rise.
Then I was preparing the filling. I finely chopped half a bunch of fresh parsley and one head of garlic, added a bit of salt, and sautéed everything in a small piece of butter. The recipe actually said to cut off the top of the garlic head, wrap it in foil, and roast it in the oven to get a mashed-potato-like texture later, but I really didn't feel like turning on the oven just for that at that moment, and the bread wasn't ready to be baked yet. So I decided to save electricity and do that part on the stovetop. My motto was simply make it work. ☺️
While the garlic was gently simmering in the butter, I took that same butter... yes, the one I stole a small cube from 😁 (which weighs 125 grams in total) and put it into a bowl. I mashed it with a fork and added parsley. As soon as the garlic softened, I mashed it as well to make a yummy paste, then mixed it into the butter and parsley. I seasoned it with a pinch of salt, just a few grains between my fingers.
The dough had risen nicely, and I turned the oven on to about 190°C so it would have enough time to heat up. I transferred the dough onto a floured work surface and rolled it out with a rolling pin, just like in the picture, about 5 mm thick. I tried to keep it in a rectangular shape so that every piece would end up the same size once I rolled it up. :) Though honestly, you don't really have to stress about that; it's not important at all. Just saying.
Once the dough was rolled out, I spread the butter, parsley, and garlic filling over it and smoothed it out evenly. Then I grated one cube of hard homemade cow’s cheese on top. I debated adding another one, but I was afraid it would overpower the flavor, so I didn’t; though I absolutely could have. So that part is completely up to your taste. The original recipe even said you don’t need cheese at all, although the girl who made it added a bit of Gouda.
I prepared a round metal baking pan and lined it with parchment paper. Cut the rolled dough into pieces roughly 2 centimeters thick... maybe a millimeter or two more... and arranged them in the pan. Just make sure you estimate the space so everything fits. If your pan is smaller or if you intentionally want it to be thicker, simply slice the pieces a bit wider.
I whisked one egg with a splash of milk and a pinch of salt, then brushed it over the top. Placed everything into a preheated oven and baked for about 30 minutes.
Here's my silly little selfie taken right before putting it into the oven. ↑
Annnnnd voilà! Just look at how it turned out all golden on the outside, soft and delicately layered on the inside and the smell… ohhhh, smell is pure perfection. We ate it with yogurt and a bit of homemade smoked pork prosciutto. Though honestly, it didn't need anything on the side; it was wonderful on its own. It was just as good the next day, too... like the finest little rolls, with its flavor completely unchanged!
How does it look to you from the photos? It's incredibly delicious, you'll have to take my word for that… at least until you try the recipe yourself and see.
