During the shelter-in-place orders this spring, grocery shoppers were uneasy about the food supply chain and were preparing for an unknown length of time spent at home. They cleared grocery stores of frozen foods, meat, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper. That uneasiness, paired with a surge of interest in home baking to help fill time at home created a yeast shortage.

Active dry yeast was unavailable, but bakeries began selling their supplies, and I was able to buy a pound of instant yeast.

This kid-friendly, fun, and delicious pull-apart bread was our first weekend baking project. It’s fantastic served alongside anything that has pan juices (hello, garlic butter chicken), and reminded us in the best possible way of the yeasted rolls served in our high school cafeterias.

Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.