Garlic-Herb Braid

I drove to Cedarhurst every day this week. On Wednesday, Marvin was sleeping when I arrived, and I sat beside him for an hour without waking him, reading my own book — the manuscript, the printed pages, reading them one more time in the room where the man the book is partly about sleeps in a recliner that used to be in our living room. I read the Marvin chapter silently, beside Marvin, while he slept, and the reading was a prayer, and the prayer was the chapter, and the chapter was the love, and the love was the silence, and the silence held us both.

He woke at three. He looked at me. He said, "Hello." Not "hello, Ruth." Not "hello, dear." Just "hello." The simplest greeting. The first word you learn. The word that means: I see you. You are here. Hello. I said, "Hello, Marv. I'm here. I brought soup." He said, "Thank you." Hello and thank you. Two words. From the bedrock. From the deep storage. From the place where greeting and gratitude survive everything else. Hello. Thank you. These are the last two skills. The first learned and the last to go. Hello. Thank you. The soup is here. The love is here. Hello.

The soup was already packed when I thought to bake this, too — because Marvin has always loved bread, the tearing of it, the warmth in the hands before it ever reaches the mouth. I made the Garlic-Herb Braid the morning before I drove to Cedarhurst, and the whole apartment smelled like something alive and good, and I thought: this is what I can still give him. Something I made. Something warm. Something that says, without saying it, that I was thinking of him while I braided.

Prep Time: 25 min (plus 1 hr 30 min rise) | Cook Time: 28 min | Total Time: 2 hr 25 min | Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup warm water (110°F)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir gently and let stand 5–8 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is spent — start again with fresh yeast.
Make the dough. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the salt to the yeast mixture. Add flour one cup at a time, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is sticky.
First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Make the herb filling. While the dough rises, warm the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat and stir in rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Set aside to cool.
Divide and fill. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches long. Brush each rope with a little of the melted butter, then press the herb-and-garlic mixture evenly along the length of each rope.
Braid. Lay the three ropes side by side and pinch the tops together firmly. Braid loosely — lifting each outer strand over the center in turn — and pinch the bottom ends to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Second rise. Cover the braid with a towel and let rise 25–30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake. Brush the top of the braid with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake 25–28 minutes until deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Rest and serve. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm alongside soup, or wrap in a clean towel to carry somewhere it is needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic-Herb Braid — The Bread I Baked to Bring Alongside the Soup