Garlic Cloud Rolls... the ultimate garlic bread?

These garlic cloud rolls are light as air and rich in flavour. Infused with a triple garlic butter. The recipe uses science based techniques to create the ultra light texture and maximize garlic flavour. These are, without a doubt, the best garlic bread ever.

Garlic Cloud Rolls Recipe

Tangzhong

- 30g (3 tbsp) bread flour

- 120g (1/2 cup) milk (or dairy-free substitute)

Dough

- 120g (1/2 cup) milk (or dairy-free substitute), cold

- 1 large egg, cold

- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (one packet)

- 350g (2 1/2 cups) bread flour

- 30g (2 tbsp) sugar

- 1 tsp (6g) salt (table salt or fine sea salt)

- 56g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened but not melted

Triple Garlic Butter

- 2 tsp garlic powder

- 2 tsp water

- 6 cloves garlic (2 in powder, 4 in butter)

- 140g (3/4 cup) butter, divided (70g + 70g)

- 1 tsp kosher salt

- ~1/2 cup (50g) parmesan, finely grated

1. Make Tangzhong by adding bread flour and milk to a microwave safe bowl. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Microwave in 20s increments, whisking vigorously each time, until the mixture becomes a thick pudding. This should only take 3-4 microwave cycles.

2. Add cold milk to the cooked Tangzhong mixture. Add half the milk at a time, whisking until smooth. Add egg and instant yeast to the mixture. Whisk until combined then pour into stand mixer bowl.

3. On top of the Tangzhong mixture, add bread flour, sugar, and salt. Use dough hook attachment to stir everything together by hand, aiming to hydrate the flour. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead mixture on medium-low (Kitchenaid speed 3) for 5 minutes. The dough should begin to look smooth and supple at this point.

4. Increase mixer speed to medium and gradually add softened butter. The butter won't incorporate at first. Keep mixing and the butter will combine eventually. As needed, use a rubber spatula to scrape out the bottom of the bowl and re-arrange dough + butter to help with mixing. After the butter has fully incorporated, knead for 12-16 minutes. The dough should become very smooth and elastic. It should also pass the windowpane test.

5. Turn dough out of bowl. Knead and shape into smooth ball. Lightly oil a large clean bowl. Place dough into the oiled bowl, cover the bowl (plastic wrap or damp towel), and keep in a warm place to proof until doubled in size, 30-50 minutes, temperature dependent.

6. Meanwhile, combine garlic powder and 2 tsp water. Grate in 2 cloves of garlic and add salt. Place half the butter with the garlic powder and the other half in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the butter (without garlic powder) for 30s until melted. Grate 4 cloves of garlic into melted butter. Stir, cover with a plate, microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Pour melted garlic butter over the solid butter in the other bowl. Stir until all the butter has melted. Set aside until thickened to a spreadable consistency.

7. When the dough has doubled in size, lightly dust with flour then deflate the dough. Dust work surface with flour. Turn out dough and pat into large rectangle. Lightly dust top of dough with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 18" x 12" (45 cm x 30 cm) rectangle with the long side facing you.

8. Spread 2/3 of the garlic butter over the the dough, right to the edges. Leave the rest for brushing on top later. Grate parmesan all over the butter.

9. Fold the dough in half lengthwise (hotdog fold). Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1.5" wide (~4 cm) strips. There should be 12 strips.

10. Pick up each strip, lightly stretch, wrap the entire length around your fingers, then tuck the end in the centre of the coil, creating a light knot (refer to video for visual guide).

11. Place rolls onto two parchment lined trays, spacing out appropriately. Cover lightly (plastic wrap or damp towel) and keep in a warm spot to proof until the rolls are puffed but not quite doubled in size. 45 minutes to 1 hour.

12. Pre-heat oven to 350F with racks in top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of oven.

13. Right before baking, melt remaining garlic butter and brush the top of each roll. Use 1/2 the butter, leaving the rest for after baking.

14. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up, browned around the edges, and golden. The internal temp should be around 195F (90C).

15. Remove from oven and immediately lightly brush each roll with the remaining garlic butter mixture. If there's not enough garlic butter remaining, supplement with additional 2-3 tbsp melted butter.

Notes:

- Store rolls in an airtight container @ room temp, up to 5 days

- Refresh rolls by microwaving for 10-12 seconds, until soft and warm