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I love to make a garlic herb bread wreath for special occasions. It is sure to appeal to garlic bread fans and pairs beautifully with any holiday dinner. Making homemade bread can be really simple and this easy bread recipe proves it. So even if you don’t usually make bread yourself, I’m sure you will be able to rustle this amazing easy bread recipe up without a hitch. Served warm from the oven, this garlic bread wreath smells and tastes so good. And homemade bread is irresistible – everyone will want to grab a piece!
Pair it with festive appetizers or serve on a platter with sprigs of fresh rosemary alongside your holiday meal at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
You might also enjoy smoked turkey breast, cranberry cream cheese stuffed flank steak, or how about smoked honey-glazed ham?
Garlic Herb Bread Wreath Ingredients
If you’re looking for something different instead of your usual dinner rolls or Parker House rolls, try making your own bread with this delicious recipe.
You will need simple ingredients of flour, milk, yeast, salt, honey, eggs, butter, parmesan, garlic, parsley, basil, thyme, and sage.
I’m sure you can imagine how amazing this garlic bread will smell as it bakes and you won’t be able to resist trying a piece as soon as it’s done! It is an easy way to dress up any meal any time of year.
How to Make this Easy Bread Recipe
The first step is to combine the fast-acting dry yeast, honey and warm milk, and then whisk in the eggs. Whisk in a cup of all purpose flour then 2 tablespoons of butter. Add more flour, bit by bit, as well as the salt. Once the dough pulls away from the bowl sides, stop adding flour.
Knead the yeast mixture dough until smooth on a lightly floured surface and put it in a greased bowl. Cover it and let the bread rise somewhere in a warm place for an hour. This could be on the countertop, on top of the refrigerator or on a sunny windowsill where it will be warmer than room temperature.
Mince the fresh herbs and mix with the rest of the butter, and the garlic and parmesan cheese. Knead the dough a bit more on a work surface and then roll it out to make a rectangle dough pieces. Brush the herb garlic butter mixture over it.
Now roll the dough up to make a log shape and cut it lengthwise leaving the last inch or so intact at one end. Twist the two strands around each other and then shape the whole thing into a garlic wreath.
Put the garlic herb bread wreath on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the homemade bread alone to rise for half an hour and then bake in the oven until golden brown. Brush butter over the top and serve warm with the rest of your festive appetizers. Cut with a sharp knife into smaller pieces.
Optional Add-Ins and Variations
Although this easy bread recipe is delicious just as it is, you can tweak the ingredients if you wish. You might like to use different herbs. Rosemary has quite a strong flavour but if you like it you could swap the basil and parsley for it.
Feel free to add extra garlic too. There’s no such thing as too much garlic! Perhaps you want to add a special design in the center of the wreath. Add some halved black olives before baking or perhaps some whole fresh herb leaves. Sun-dried tomatoes would work too.
Fast-acting dry yeast could be substituted with instant yeast or active dry yeast, but some changes to the recipe per package instructions may be needed. For a shortcut, you could try using pizza dough or make dough balls or garlic knots instead of the wreath shape shown. It is okay to add your own personal touch!
Garlic Bread Recipe FAQs
The wreath is attractive and festive but that’s not your only option here. You could make individual garlic bread rolls if you prefer or even monkey bread (known as pull-apart bread too).
To do that, make individual balls and stick them together to make a loaf. When it’s cooked, people will be able to pull bits off. You could even get more ambitious and make the loaf in the shape of a star or Christmas tree!
There’s no doubt the best way to serve garlic bread is fresh out the oven while it’s still warm. But it will keep reasonably fresh for a day or so if you loosely wrap it in a clean kitchen towel on the countertop. You don’t need to refrigerate it.
Give it 15 minutes at 350 degrees F to warm it back up again. A quicker way is to microwave it for about 15 seconds. Put a glass of water in the microwave next to it. The moisture will help it stay soft.
This garlic herb bread wreath is one of my favourite festive appetizers. I love to add extra garlic. It’s also fun to try different shapes, such as pull-apart bread or even individual rolls or mini-loaves.
Garlic Herb Bread Wreath Recipe
Garlic Herb Bread Wreath
Ingredients
- 4 Cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 Cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 Package yeast, fast acting dry
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons butter, softened plus additional butter to brush the surface
- 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/3 Cup parsley, fresh, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons basil, fresh, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon thyme, fresh, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon sage, fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the yeast, honey, and warm milk together. Whisk in the eggs.
- Add one cup of flour, whisk. Add 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Add another cup of flour, and salt, then whisk until all the flour is incorporated. Continue adding flour, a bit at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl when stirred. Takes between 3.5 to 4 cups, so add gradually.
- Continue kneading for about 5 to 8 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Finely chop the herbs. In a small bowl, combine the remaining butter, garlic, herbs, and parmesan.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for a short while. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the herb butter over the top.
- Roll up the dough tightly to form a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log longwise, leaving the last inch of the dough intact on one end.
- Twist the two strands around themselves, then form a wreath. Pinch ends to seal.
- Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic, then let it stand until soft and nearly doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
- Brush the top of the bread with butter.
Nutrition
When it comes to holiday dinner sides, you can’t go wrong with a delicious garlic herb bread wreath. Not only is this beautiful wreath a worthy addition to your festive appetizers menu but it’s an easy garlic bread you can make from scratch. Even non-bakers will find the recipe super-simple! It is a great change from classic Parker House rolls.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I would like to make this wreath to serve 15. Do I just up the ingredients by half and then roll out a longer log and proceed as per instructions. This wreath looks fantastic and the reviews are very encouraging. Thank you.
Yes that should work, it might take slightly longer to bake. Another idea is doubling up the recipe and just making 2 wreaths, as you can always freeze portions for future meals.
I just made it and wow—it was absolutely divine! The aroma of garlic and herbs wafting through the kitchen was incredible, and the taste was even better.
I love garlic bread but this recipe is on another level. Loved it!
So easy to make and it tastes exceptionally good!
The garlic taste is just the right amount. Not too overwhelming, simply delicious.
My mom didn’t believe I’d made this, she thought I’d bought it! It’s really easy to make and comes out looking gorgeous like in the photos. Loved it.
looks delicious!