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This light, doughy, and super soft bread is swirled with herb butter, hinted lightly with garlic, and makes for the most delicious and extra fancy companion to your dinner table. It’s easy, but impressive, and best served warm right out of the oven with just a little smear of butter. You will LOVE this bread. Bonus? This is a great way to use up all the end of summer herbs from the garden.
With Labor Day behind us, I’m ready to slowly start transitioning into the season the brings all the coziest recipes. I know it’s only the 3rd of September, and that the temperatures may still be warm, but autumn is in the air, especially around here. I couldn’t be more excited about this, as I said on Sunday, it’s my favorite season.
(dough log after slicing in half lengthwise)
With September here, my focus has shifted to a bit to cozier recipes. Recipes that are perfect for things like Sunday night dinner with the family, a simple gathering with friends, or tailgating before Sunday’s game (can you believe football starts on Thursday?).
Enter in this swirled garlic herb bread. It’s so pretty and so delicious. It’s going to be perfect for all your upcoming Sunday night family dinners, and gatherings with friends on fall evenings.
And the best part…while I mean, aside from the taste…while this bread may look super complicated to make, it’s really fairly simple. If you’re a visual person like me, the pictures within this post are going to be VERY helpful, so study them closely.
(dough after twisting)
(dough after the 1st coil)
Why You’ll Love This
- Crowd-pleasing flavor (garlic + herbs + buttery swirl) with bakery-style texture.
- Adaptable format: loaf, mini loaves, or pull-apart rolls.
- Make-ahead friendly; freezes well for holidays.
First, the dough. I used my go-to base dough recipe for soft breads. It’s kind of a mix between an eggy brioche bread and a more simple dinner roll type bread. It has your basic bread dough ingredients – milk, yeast, a touch of honey, eggs, flour, butter, and salt. Nothing new here, but yet still so good.
The real flavor in this bread is hidden between the layers. Or better yet, between the swirls, and it’s in the form of herb butter with garlic. The classic go-to flavors that I am craving so much of right now…
Well, that and the fact our herb garden is so full of end of summer herbs. So full that some of the basil is blossoming and becoming dry. Meaning, I need to use it up fast. So that’s kind of the reason for all the herb-filled recipes as of late. The good news is that I love herbs and I don’t mind using them in literally everything…even my cocktails.
For the butter, I used a mix of basil, thyme, and sage, BUT you all can use whatever herb combination you love most. I’m sure a touch of oregano or maybe some parsley would be great!
And another note…use salted butter and only just the right amount of garlic. The salted butter is key because it adds that special touch that makes everyone go back for a second slice, or two. For the garlic, I like to use 1-2 cloves. You want the flavor, but you don’t want it to overpower the bread, just a subtle hint.
Now, the rolling and twisting process.
I promise, this is not as scary as it looks. If you’ve made cinnamon rolls before you can make and shape this bread.
You’ll start out by rolling the dough up into a log. Then you simply cut the log in half vertically to expose those pretty, herby, buttery layers. Now, twist the two the pieces of dough over each other to create a loose twist. And finally, coil the dough up into a shape that resembles an S. Again, the words make it seem trickier than it really is. Use the photos as your guide, I’m telling you, they will help so much!!
Once you have the bread shaped, let it rise, and then bake. Please, please, please, enjoy this warm, right out of the oven, and preferably with a light smear of butter too.
SO GOOD. Oh, and the smell while this bakes? It. Is. Heavenly.
What every special dinner from now through December really needs…a side of pretty, swirled, garlic herb bread. I’d recommend serving this alongside one of my favorite September recipes, instant pot broccoli cheddar zucchini soup.
FAQ:
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
Yes—dried herbs are more potent. A good general rule is to start with about one-third the amount and bloom them briefly in warm butter or oil for better flavor.
How do I keep the swirl from separating or leaking?
Roll the dough tightly, leave a clean strip to seal, and pinch the seam well. Proof until puffy before baking so the structure sets around the swirl.
Can I shape this as rolls or mini loaves?
Totally—divide the dough evenly and tuck into a buttered muffin tin or mini loaf pans. Keep the same visual cues: puffy before the bake, deep golden when done.
How do I know it’s baked through?
Look for a deep golden crust; the loaf should sound hollow when tapped and feel set in the center (not squishy). Let it cool before slicing so the swirls hold their shape.
If you make this swirled garlic herb bread be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Swirled Garlic Herb Bread.
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 795 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 large eggs
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for serving
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, honey, eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2-3 minutes more. If the dough is still sticky, add the additional 1/2 cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to touch.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the garlic, parmesan, basil, sage, and thyme in a small bowl. 4. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Spread the garlic herb butter evenly over the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. 5. Using a sharp knife, cut the log of dough in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact (see above photo). Turn the halves to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until you have a long, twisted dough.6. Coil half the rope up like a snake, stopping when you reach halfway. Then, coil the second half of the rope in the opposite direction (see above photo). Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the bread to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bread is cooked through. Brush the top of the loaf with butter. Slice and serve warm…with additional butter.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the bread through step 6. Once the bread is shaped, place it on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, remove the bread from the fridge 1 hour prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Freeze: bake the bread as directed and allow to cool completely. Once cool, wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and warm or toast before serving.
Leftovers: the bread is best served warm after baking, but the leftover bread is delicious when lightly toasted or served at room temperature.
This post was originally published on September 3, 2019
I made this bread as a challenge since I’ve never been able to successfully make bread before. This was my first win! It smells so good and came out super yummy as promised. Besides a casual, emotional meltdown because of sticky, webbed dough fingers (still don’t know why this happened), I had a wonderful time baking this. Thanks!!
Wow that is so great! I am so glad you decided to try this and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much Loren! xTieghan
Would this work with non-dairy milk? Suggestions? This looks so wonderful but my husband can’t do dairy.
Thank you!
Hi Lisa! I recommend your favorite nut/seed milk. Anything that is not flavored will work well, I use canned unsweetened coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing! If I wanted to make this gluten-free, what kind of flour would you recommend? I’m trying to keep it simple…and am wondering if a combination of oat, almond, or other easy to access/blend-what-you-have-on-hand flours would work.
HI! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Absolutely amazing! Easy to make and so delicious! Even my kids ate it! We were so excited to finish the rest the next day….. unfortunately my dog was too and he finished off the second half of the loaf! Must have been good!
Love that! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This looks heavenly and easy to make! Just wondering why All purpose flour and not bread flour?
HI! I personally just like using all-purpose flour in my recipes. It’s easy access for me and I find it work great! You can use bread flour if you prefer. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
OMG! This bread is awesome. Made it tonight for dinner. Wish I could give it ten stars.
This is so sweet! Thank you so much for trying this recipe Sheran! xTieghan
Can you use dried herbs since I I’ve in area where fresh cannot be found?
Hi John! Yes, dried herbs will be great! I would use, 2 tbs dried basil, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 tsp sage. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I love the swirl!! This bread looks beyond delicious!
Thank you Laura! xTieghan
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! Your bread skills are top notch!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Thank you Paige! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
This recipe sounds great and I really want to try it. I don’t have a stand mixer but I do have a bread machine. Do you have any tips for mixing the dough in a bread machine? I could then bake as directed in your recipe. Thank you for your help.
Hey Backy! You can mix the dough by hand using a large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and some elbow grease. Just mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball, this will take about 4-5 minutes. Then, once the dough is in a ball and smooth, continue on as directed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Beautiful bread! I am not one for garlic and butter but… this would be wonderful with cinnamon and brown sugar. YUM!!
Agreed! I hope you love it with some cinnamon and sugar! Let me know! Thank you Charlotte! xTieghan
This looks fantastic!
Thank you Rachel! xTieghan
Good Morning
As I usually never have fresh herbs..except Parsley and chives. ..Any suggestions on portions for dried, here?
Thanks much it looks delish and anxious to try it.
Hi there!!
I would recommend using 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh my days that looks absolutely incredible, my family would devour this, shall have to give it a try at our next gathering!!
Rebecca | Peppermint Dolly
Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
Bread is totally my Achilles Heel, and this one looks dangerous: I’d gobble it down in one sitting and share with NO ONE!!
Haha yes love it! I hope you try this one, Ruth! xTieghan