"Devil Bread" - Buttermilk Bread and Base

"Devil Bread" 

Greek Stuffed Pull-Apart

I "work" one day a week.....outside the home, that is! I do filing, answer phones, keep things organized, etc. at a local insurance agency. I've only been  there since May, but the agents and other office staff there have become good friends (could it be because I feed them every Wednesday? LOL!) Here's what I mean: The boss was flexible with my schedule when Dad was so ill and, when Dad died, I was surprised that many of the agents from the office took the time to attend calling hours. I've laughed a lot with  these folks and prayed and cried with a few, too. Even though I'm extremely part-time, they've taken me in as family. 

This Wednesday's bread was a layered ham and cheese pull-apart bread...I had made another pull-apart bread the day before and had such fun filling it that I wanted to do it again....only I filled it with something different! The bread dough that I used was a newly-devised recipe, too, which I fell in love with - sooooooo soft, slightly sweet and lovely to work with. Everyone in the office was thrilled to see a savory loaf for a change. It was gone by the end of the day, so that spoke to its deliciousness! One agent called it "Devil Bread".....said he just couldn't stop eating it! Here's the basic bread - now go and create your own "Devil Bread"!! 

Buttermilk Bread / Base

½ Cup warm water

1 pkg/ Tbsp. Red Star Platinum Yeast 

2/3 Cup warmed buttermilk, or 2 ½ Tbsp. buttermilk powder dissolved in 2/3 Cup warm water

1 tsp. salt

¼ Cup sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

3 + Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

At this point, the dough may be formed into rolls (should make about 12) or a 9X 5 loaf.  I also have used this several times as a “base” for layered pull-apart bread. To use it as such, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 15”x 9”.  Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter on the dough, then sprinkle with your favorite ingredients….Here are some ideas:

Sweet: Cinn-sugar and raisins…..maybe some toasted nuts, too! Or maybe some chopped apples…..

Greek: I used about ½ of a frozen pkg. of spinach (thawed and well-drained); 10-15 Kalamata olives, sliced; 1/3 Cup feta cheese; ½ cup mozzarella; 1 ½ tsp. prepared minced garlic (or 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced); 1/3 Cup chopped (well-drained) roasted red peppers; Mix everything together and spread on the dough - Add what YOU like!

Ham & Cheese “Devil Bread” : Spread 2 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard on the butter. Follow with  1-2 Cups chopped cooked ham pieces; 1 Cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar & mozzarella- whatever I had in the frig J)

Slice the covered dough in half, lengthwise. Then cut three slices the other way, making 8 even-sized pieces. Stack the pieces atop one another- four “piles” of two. Slice each of the piles in half. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or use a “tea loaf” pan, which measures 13x4” .Place each of the “piles” in the pan on its side, working quickly. Cover and let rise until doubled, or cover and place in the frig overnight. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.  Brush top with softened butter.

"Devil Bread" - Buttermilk Bread and Base