Savory Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, divided
• Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook in place, add the milk, sugar, all-purpose flour, and yeast. Mix until everything is fully combined, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Add the white whole wheat flour and knead the dough until it turns smooth and stretchy. Add the salt and 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter, then keep kneading until the butter disappears into the dough and the dough looks smooth, glossy, and elastic.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, then lightly coat it with oil or cooking spray. Place it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
4. While the dough rises, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and paprika to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the garlic is in small pieces and the herbs are evenly blended, stopping to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 10-12 one-second pulses. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter and process until the herb mixture is completely blended, about 10 seconds. Leave it at room temperature.
5. Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it for 10 seconds. With a bench scraper, cut the dough in half, then keep cutting each portion in half until you have 32 fairly even pieces. Roll the pieces into balls. Use your hands to cover each ball with the butter mixture, then place them in a greased 8x8 glass baking dish, cake pan, or bundt pan. They should sit close together and stack a bit, but do not press them down. Cover with plastic and let the dough rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
6. Bake until the bread is a deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or cooled.