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
Etsy List: National Garlic Day
The US has some crazy ‘National Days’. Last month saw National Get Over It Day, National Earmuff Day and National Everything You Think is Wrong Day.
But I’m claiming today’s National Garlic Day for the rest of the world! Garlic enhances food… no, it enhances life! It tastes great and is good for your health too.
The UK is a nation of garlic lovers; we have an annual Garlic Festival in August down in the Isle of Wight where there’s a long tradition of growing the aromatic bulb.
Later on today I’ll be make a batch of wild garlic butter – we have a small patch of ramsons behind our house that is ready to pick!
National Garlic Day
Curated by H is for Home
Chilli, garlic, ginger jam
We had a mini glut of chillies following the small crop of our own being suddenly boosted by gifts from friends who had a greenhouse full! A chilli jam seemed like the best course of action – chilli, garlic & ginger jam to be precise.
It’s a very flexible preserve suitable for adding to Indian, Chinese or Thai dishes – lightly brushing on barbecued meats & vegetables – or giving cheese on toast a real kick! The cooking process filled the house with wonderful aromas and these little jars of intense flavour are excellent additions to the store cupboard or larder.
Chilli, garlic, ginger jam
Ingredients
- 12 chillies choose from finger/cayenne, serrano, jalepeño etc depending on how mild or fiery you like it
- 1 large or 2 small garlic bulbs
- 75 g ginger
- 75 ml rice wine vinegar
- 75 ml water
- 1 lime juiced
- 150 g palm sugar crumbled or soft brown sugar
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and ginger and de-stalk the chillies (don't remove the seeds) before pulsing in a mini-processor for about 20 seconds
- Add the purée to a medium-sized saucepan with the vinegar, water, lime juice and sugar
- Warm on a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves
- Turn the heat up to high and boil rapidly for 10 minutes
- Decant into sterilised jars before securing the lids tightly
