When the image of garlic bread comes to mind, what do you see? Check out this bread for a whole new reality of garlic bread today!
The cooler days of fall heading into winter always compel me to want to bake bread, filling the house with fabulous aromas of warm yeast, and in this instance, garlic. Who can resist that fragrance wafting through the kitchen? Others describe the aroma of freshly baked bread as…
“The scent of the baking bread… was a clean, slightly sweet, yeasty aroma that somehow smelled warm, like you were inhaling a blanket on a cold winter day.” [www.atlasobscura.com]
“What is it about the aroma of bread in the oven that is so irresistible? Yes, for many people, the odors evoke powerful, pleasant memories of childhood. But even people who grew up on plastic-wrapped, essentially aroma-free Wonder Bread break into contented smiles when they enter a bakery while the ovens are going. The reason has as much to do with chemistry as it does with psychology.”[https://modernistcuisine.com/]
So it’s not just me that melts into a pile of contentment when fresh bread bakes and fills a room with its pleasant aromatic odors.
This garlic-infused bread is delightful served on its own with butter or a dish of olive oil & balsamic vinegar. I have a library of balsamic vinegars I’ve picked up traveling abroad and in the U.S. and they all pair nicely with this bread.
Of course, this bread is a fabulous addition to almost any Italian dish, soup, or salad. And don’t worry about leftovers as it toasts nicely to use for sandwiches.
I used generous-sized garlic from our garden. Store-bought garlic works just as well.
Just the roasting of the garlic before it is added to the bread sends pleasant aromas throughout the house.
Bread has risen and is ready for baking.
I enjoy poking the garlic pieces into the bread at this point.
Add Italian seasoning before baking.
Ahhh, can you smell it? Can you taste it? It makes my mouth water just looking at the photo. 🙂
Enjoy this beautiful bread. It’s worth the effort of making it from scratch.
Roasted Garlic Bread - Aroma & Flavor Aplenty!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4-6 cloves garlic lightly roasted, sliced
- Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning blend oregano, thyme, basil, divided
- 1 tablespoon sea salt optional
Instructions
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Roast garlic drizzled with olive oil in a foil envelope at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
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Stir yeast into warm water and rest for about 5 minutes. A light foam will appear on top.
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Mix flour and salt together, as well as roasted garlic and 1/2 seasonings to the dough. in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the middle. Slowly add the yeast, mixing as you go. When finished, dough should be pulling away from the bowl. (Add flour or water to adjust dough consistency). Cover and let rise until double in size (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours).
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Uncover the dough and poke with your finger. Dough should indent under the pressure and slightly deflate. Cover and rest dough for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
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Place a Dutch oven into the oven and heat to 450 degrees F. In the meantime, punch down the dough and place it on parchment paper. Top with the rest of the herbs, sea salt and garlic. Top with a sheet of plastic wrap and rest for another 30 minutes.
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Remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Uncover the dough and carefully transfer the dough with parchment paper to the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 30-45 minutes and uncover and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes - until the top is golden brown. Cool before slicing.