Name: Thanksgiving Salt Bread
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT2H0M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT5H0M0.000S
Yield: 12 rolls
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast; 1 cup cold whole milk; 2 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note); 1 cup cake flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; Kosher salt; 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 cups diced leeks, from about 1 large leek, well rinsed; 3 tablespoons dry white wine or chicken broth; Flaky sea salt

Directions

Special equipment:

an instant-read thermometer; a spray bottle for water

For the dough: Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan over low heat until it registers 100 to 110 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk the yeast into the warm broth and let sit until it starts to foam, 6 to 7 minutes. Pour the yeast mixture and milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Add the bread flour, cake flour, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and poultry seasoning to the bowl and knead on medium-low speed until a shaggy dough forms and all the flour is hydrated, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl, cover it with a baking sheet and let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Knead the dough with the hook attachment again on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large ungreased bowl; set the stand mixer bowl aside, no need to clean it. Cover the bowl with the baking sheet and let the dough rise in a warm area until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
While the dough is rising, make the filling: Combine 12 tablespoons of the butter, the garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the reserved stand mixer bowl. Beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl so that everything is evenly mixed. Transfer the herb butter to a piece of parchment paper, cover with another piece of parchment and shape and flatten the butter until it is an even 4 1/2-inch-by-4-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Refrigerate on a large flat plate or small baking sheet until solid, about 30 minutes.
Lift off the top layer of parchment from the cold herb butter and position the block with the longer side facing you. Halve it horizontally, then cut it across into 3/4-inch-wide sticks vertically; you should have 12 sticks that are 2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Transfer the butter with the parchment paper onto the same plate, separate the butter sticks from one another, and freeze uncovered until needed.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks start to brown and stick to the bottom of the skillet, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside at room temperature until cooled.
Grease 2 baking sheets with a thin layer of butter and set aside. Divide the proofed dough into 12 equal pieces, each about 70 grams.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, press the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form it into a 5-by-2-inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Roll the long side farthest away towards you to form a cylinder shape. Pinch the ends together, then gently roll one end to taper and slightly elongate it so the dough looks like a carrot and measures about 6 inches long. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each on the baking sheet.
Cover the baking sheet with another baking sheet flipped over top and let the rolls rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Working with one carrot-shaped piece of dough at a time, firmly press the dough into a triangle on a lightly floured surface with the tapered end facing away from you. Lightly dust a rolling pin with bread flour, then gently roll the side closer to you into a 2-inch base. With one hand on the tapered end, roll with a lightly floured rolling pin away from you until it is a long triangle, about 2 inches at the base and 20 inches long.
Scatter 1 tablespoon of leek over the long triangle, place one piece of frozen herb butter at the base of the dough horizontally and fold the top edge of the dough over the butter to cover. With one hand on the base of the triangle and the other one on the tapered end, start to roll the dough up from the base towards the pointed end, making sure to keep the dough centered to form a shape like a croissant. Every so often as you roll, lift the rolling end up slightly and pull back very gently to create light tension for an even, tight roll. The butter doesn’t need to be completely sealed but shouldn’t stick out. Transfer the rolled dough to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat the same rolling process with the remaining dough pieces and butter sticks, leaving 4 to 5 inches between each roll on the baking sheet (you should be able to fit 6 rolls on each baking sheet).
Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area until airy and puffy and doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. When you gently shake the baking sheet, the rolls should jiggle like marshmallows.
About 30 minutes before you expect the rolls to be fully risen, position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
Fill a clean spray bottle with water and lightly spray the proofed dough. Scatter the remaining leeks evenly over the rolls and sprinkle with flaky salt. Spray the dough again 10 times with water until moistened. Place the baking sheets on the top and bottom racks and quickly spray the oven walls about 15 times with water. Close the door immediately and bake for 3 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 400 degrees F and bake until the rolls start to brown, about 12 minutes. Quickly rotate the pans and switch top to bottom and bake until evenly browned, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Use a pastry brush to brush any leaked butter on top of the rolls, being careful not to dislodge any pieces of leek. Let the salt bread cool on the pans until the sheets are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Run a thin spatula underneath each roll to release it from the pan and transfer the rolls to a cooling rack to keep the bottom crunchy. The rolls are best enjoyed warm, although you can also store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)