Garlic, Onion and Herb Monkey Bread

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.

Cut off the top ¼ inch of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Place on a piece of foil. Tightly seal the foil and place directly on the oven rack. Bake for 35 minutes or until the garlic is very tender. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves into a bowl.

Meanwhile, in a Saucier, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl of garlic. Mash to combine and adjust the seasoning. Let cool completely. Clean out the Saucier.

In the clean Saucier, gently heat half of the milk until just simmering. Add the butter and sugar. Stir until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Add the remaining milk and the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the surface of the mixture is bubbly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a bowl with a wooden spoon, combine the flour and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture. Mix with the dough hook on low speed, or with a spoon, for 2 minutes, until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to combine. 

Knead with the dough hook, or on a floured work surface with your hands, for 5 minutes or until the dough is very smooth. Add the cooled onion mixture and knead for another 2 minutes.

With floured hands, shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

In another bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with the herbs and garlic powder. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into about 40 pieces of equal size. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.

In the base of a Bread Oven, starting about ½ inch from the sides, arrange an even layer of dough balls to cover the base. Brush with the oil mixture. Continue with the remaining balls, making each layer slightly smaller than the last and brushing each layer with the oil mixture.

Place the lid carefully over the bread. Let rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Bake the monkey bread for 20 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue to bake until the bread is nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with any remaining oil mixture.

Let cool before serving.