Recipe for roasted garlic bread (From York Press)

Recipe for roasted garlic bread

11:55am Saturday 7th January 2012 in Too Many Cooks

In this week’s recipe column, home baker JULIAN COLE gives his recipe for roasted garlic bread

Imo’s garlic bread

THIS savoury treat is named in honour of my garlic-loving teenage daughter. “Is this good enough to go in the paper?” she was asked, only to reply: “It’s good enough to go in my belly.”

Garlic-phobes should perhaps walk on by, but everyone else will have fun making this and adding their own modifications. The flaky sea salt, rosemary and olive oil are my optional add-ons; you could try a touch of sweetness in roasting the garlic, with a dash of honey or balsamic vinegar.

To roast the garlic: One small head of garlic, with the top cut off. Place cut side down in roasting tin or garlic roaster with two teaspoons of water and one of olive oil (or butter if you prefer). Roast in oven set to 200C for about 45 minutes, best done while cooking something else.

The bread:

300g strong white flour
100g strong wholemeal flour
One teaspoon fast-action yeast
One teaspoon fine salt
300ml warm water
Optional extras: flaky sea salt, fresh rosemary, olive oil.

Method: Place flour, yeast and salt in a bowl, pour in warm water. Then either knead for eight to ten minutes or (using the Dan Lepard method) knead for ten seconds and leave for ten minutes, then knead twice more for ten seconds, again leaving ten minutes between knead, oiling the work-surface if the dough sticks. Leave dough in covered bowl for an hour or so. If you have time, gently knock back and fold the dough, then leave again for another hour (miss this out if in a hurry).

Flatten dough into rectangle, squeeze out the garlic from the bulbs and mix with softened butter, perhaps a tablespoon. Spread this garlicky butter over the dough, roll into a loaf and place on floured baking tray. Cover and leave for about 45 minutes until the loaf has doubled in size. Preheat oven to 220C or 200C for a fan oven in the last ten minutes of rise.

Before baking, slash top of loaf with a sharp bread knife, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chopped rosemary, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 40 minutes, cool on wire tray.

• Baker’s footnote: avoid kissing anyone after eating.