Fearless
Passions

As my winter travels take me to the islands, I’ll be making bread several times a week. You don’t find neatly sliced and well preserved bread on the shelves. If you want sandwiches the bread of life to go with your meal, you have to bake.

Two weeks ago I shared Garbanzo dip for the sun downer, Garlic Bread is a great complement as well. We use toasted Garlic bread slices for appetizer spread. I’ll season chunks for salad croutons and of course it mops up spaghetti sauce with ease. I’ve even used this recipe for excellent French Toast by leaving out the garlic.

Oh, so many uses for this one little recipe.

If you’ve never made bread, it’s easier than you think. If you have a dough hook for your mixer, you have an even easier time.

Garlic Bread
Nancy J Nicholson (That’s me, not my mother-in-law. 😉 )

 
5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 package dry yeast
1 ½ cups milk or 1/2 cup dry milk with 1 1/2 cups warm water)
½ cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 teaspoons cornmeal, divided
Herb Butter (recipe below)
 
Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, garlic salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Combine milk and next 3 ingredients in a saucepan (If using dry milk I just mix everything with the hot water in the glass measuring cup); cook over low heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Cool to 120 degrees to 130 degrees. Discard garlic.

Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, beating at low speed of an electric mixer until combined. Beat an additional 2 minutes at high speed. Gradually add ¾ cup flour, beating well. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

I do everything by hand as 1) it’s easy, 2) clean-up is easier 3) all these steps are done in the same bowl. Just keeping adding flour until you can’t stir any more. Then, it’s time to get your hands dirty.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Again, I keep all this in a large wide bowl. When the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl and is elastic and smooth, your ready to shape dough into a ball, and place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 or 4 times. This I do on a flat surface Divide dough in half. Roll 1 portion to a 13 x 8 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch ends to seal. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons cornmeal on a greased baking sheet. Place loaf, seam side down, on baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Make diagonal slits about ¼ inch deep down the length of each loaf, using a sharp knife. Sprinkle loaves with remaining ½ teaspoon cornmeal. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool slightly on wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Mmmm, good.

Have you ever made homemade bread? Do you stop by a local bakery for your specialty bread? Do tell what your favorite manna is.