Wild garlic loves this damp, shady corner of our garden. We keep the majority of it contained within an old galvanised wash tub, but if you look closely, you can see that it’s managed to escape and grow in the cracks of the flags!
I harvested a few of the leaves to go in a wild garlic sourdough focaccia; wild garlic and wild yeast!
In less than a minute, I blitzed the leaves with some olive oil into a liquid about the consistency of a vinaigrette.
The dough took a little longer to be ready… about 12 hours in a cool cloakroom.
Depending on the size of your baking tray(s), the recipe makes 2 small or one large loaf. I used a large tray – 39cm x 27cm (15″ x 10½”).
It’s absolutely delicious – moist yet airy – and full of intense flavour. Perfect for accompanying pasta dishes, salads, antipasti and cheeses.
Click here to save my recipe to Pinterest for later
- 190g/7⅔oz sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 310g/11oz tepid water
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp runny honey
- 500g/17⅔oz 00 flour
- 4g/⅛oz salt
- 6 leaves of wild garlic
- 5tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp coarse salt crystals or flakes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the starter with the water, olive oil and honey
- With the dough hook attached and on a low speed, slowly add the flour and knead for around 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Leave to rest for 10 minutes
- Add the salt, kneading until it's fully combined
- Allow to prove until doubled in size (depending on the temperature, this could be anywhere from 2 hours in a warm kitchen to overnight in the fridge. Make it fit in with your plans and schedule)
- Once sufficiently proved, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6. If you have one, put your baking stone on a shelf in the bottom ⅓rd of your oven
- Coat a baking tray(s) liberally with olive oil, making sure you include up the sides
- Gently pour the dough into the centre of the oiled tray and carefully ease it towards the corners. You don't want to deflate the air pockets
- Cover with greased clingfilm and allow to prove again in a warm place for about an hour
- Make rows of indentations across and down into the dough, drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake for 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and spread the wild garlic oil over the top.
- Turn the tray 180º (to ensure even browning) and return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown
- Remove from the oven, take the loaf off the baking tray(s) and allow to cool on a wire rack for a couple of minutes
- Slice and serve
- This bread is perfect for mopping up tomatoey or cheesy pasta sauces!
Cakes & Bakes: Tear and share garlic bread
We both love pasta and very often the simplest dishes are the best. Spaghetti with tomato sauce, which we cooked today, is one such example. Fresh basil leaves, cracked black pepper and a few shavings of Parmesan are all that’s required to finish to perfection!
We love some form of crusty bread served on the side of our pasta dishes.
Justin spotted a delicious looking tear and share garlic bread on one of his recent Pinterest browsing tea breaks.
The method was quick and easy – and the results delicious.
It’s a very flexible recipe in terms of potential ingredients. Ours was flavoured predominantly with garlic & oregano, but many other herbs such as parsley, rosemary or chives could also be used. Olives, sun-dried tomatoes or small cubes of cheese would also be perfect additions.
The perfect bread to wipe that plate clean! Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest.
- 120ml/4¼ fl oz warm water
- 1tbsp caster sugar
- 1tsp active dry yeast
- 15g/4½oz butter, softened
- 120ml/4¼ fl oz milk
- 1tsp salt
- 400g/14oz bread flour
- 60g/2oz butter, melted
- 1tbsp fresh oregano or ½tsp dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1tsp coarse salt
- In a small measuring jug, stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, quickly mix the salt and flour using your fingers
- Make a well in the centre and add the butter, milk and yeast mixture
- Using the dough hook, knead for 7-10 minutes. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but clears sides. It will be soft and slightly sticky. Kneading can also be done by hand but will take around 10-12 minutes
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, oregano and minced garlic. Set aside
- Cut the dough into equal pieces and roll into balls **I made twelve 57g balls**
- Dip the balls, one by one, into the garlic butter mixture (make sure you leave a little aside)
- Lay the buttery dough balls into a greased 20cm x 10cm (8" x 4") loaf tin **I used 2 smaller tins**
- Cover the loaf and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about an hour
- After around 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 175ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
- Brush the tops lightly with more of the garlic butter (still making sure a little is left)
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown
- Brush with the last of the garlic butter to glaze, sprinkle with the coarse salt and serve immediately
- Instead of oregano, you could use basil, parsley or rosemary
- You could also add a few halved olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or small cubes of cheese to the dough
Cakes & Bakes: Tear & share smoked garlic bread
We’ve got a delicious tear and share smoked garlic bread for this week’s Cakes & Bakes post.
The majority of the recipe comes courtesy of Jamie Oliver with a few additions, omissions and twists. I can almost hear him say that, so it’s very apt.
Jamie’s recipe uses plain, fresh cloves of garlic. I used the smoked garlic bulb that we had in our veg rack. I omitted the chopped parsley when making the garlic butter – I can’t stand it – despite the fact that the breath freshening properties would come in handy! Finally, he adds a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper which I swapped for smoked paprika – double smoky loveliness!
It has lots of air, yet it’s substantial too. The breadcrumbs are a revelation, adding a great crispy crunch. The garlic butter is punchy & intense. We used the word delicious at the start, but we’ll also throw in flavoursome, comforting and generally stupendous!
It’s the perfect bread to have on the side of a saucy pasta dish or bowl of salad.
Click here to save the smoked garlic bread recipe to Pinterest for later!
- 800g/28oz strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 7g/¼oz dried yeast
- 1tsp salt
- 550ml/19 fl oz tepid water
- 100g/3½oz stale breadcrumbs
- ½ bulb smoked garlic
- 250g/9oz butter, softened
- 1tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of sea salt
- Put the flour, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle
- Gradually pour in the water, continuously stirring and bringing in the flour from the outside as you go to form a rough dough
- Transfer to a flour-dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy
- Place in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size
- Use this time to make the butter. Use a garlic crusher or mini-food processor to crush the garlic into the softened butter
- Add the smoked paprika and a pinch of salt, then mix it all together
- Remove half to use in this recipe, then spoon the rest onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, roll it up into a log and twist the ends like a Christmas cracker, then pop into the freezer for up to 6 months for future use
- Using a pastry brush, spread ⅓ of your soft butter portion all around the base and sides of a large metal tray (25cm x 35cm), then scatter in the breadcrumbs and shake around into an even layer so they stick to the butter
- Divide up the dough into 35 pieces, then, one-by-one, roll each one into a ball and place into the tray in rows – 5 balls across and 7 balls long is perfect
- Brush over another ⅓ of the soft butter, in and around the balls
- Leave to prove for another hour and a half or until doubled in size again
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5
- Sprinkle the balls with a little sea salt before baking on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, or until lovely and golden
- Brush over that final ⅓ of butter spreading it around to give the bread a beautiful shine
- Serve straight away