Roasted Garlic Loaf

lunch
SERVES 8
Prep time 2hours
cook time 45mins

Are you in the "never too much garlic" camp? Us too. When you break off a slice of this bread, you're greeted with a hunk or two of roasted garlic imbedded in the fluffy dough. Pairs well with pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Garlic

  • 1 head garlic, peeled
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Bread

  • 2¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1½ cups water, lukewarm
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 head garlic, roasted (above)
  • 4 cups bread flour (or strong flour)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

METHOD:

  1. Set oven to 205°C. Wrap garlic loosely in aluminium foil and roast for 30 minutes. 
  2. Combine yeast, sugar, and water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add roasted garlic and salt to the water mixture. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the flour until the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be wet and sticky.
  3. Move dough to a greased bowl and coat the loaf with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or damp tea towel and set in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour.
  4. Remove the dough to a floured countertop and shape into a rectangle. Take two corners of the dough and fold the rectangle in half. Repeat 3 times. 
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and place inside a well-floured medium mixing bowl, seam-side up.  Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
  6. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 230°C with the Dutch Oven (and lid) inside.
  7. After rising, remove the hot Blacklock Dutch Oven and carefully place the dough inside, seam-side down. Quickly and carefully, make a slash, about ½ cm deep, across in the top of the dough with a sharp knife or bread lame. Cover with pre-heated lid and bake for 30 minutes.
  8. Uncover and bake for 10–15 minutes more. 
  9. Let the bread cool for 20 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing.