Artisan Roasted Garlic-rosemary Bread

written by The Recipe Exchange | September 13, 2017

Ingredients

4 medium garlic bulbs
olive oil
2 Tablespoons granulated yeast (active dry yeast)
3 cups warm water (about 105 degrees, so slightly above body temp)
5-1/2 cups ( ounces) bread flour, more for dusting
1-1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon yellow cornmeal

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel away a couple of layers of the garlic bulb skin but make sure to leave the cloves intact and the bulb as a whole. Slice about 1/4″ off the top of the bulb, exposing the cloves. Place all bulbs in aluminum foil, drizzling each head with olive oil. Cover completely with more foil. Place in oven on a baking tray for 45 minutes. When done, wait for garlic to cool. Use a fork to remove each clove or squeeze out with your hands. Set aside.

Add yeast to your dough mixing/rising container. Pour in warm water and let the yeast sit for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, roasted garlic and rosemary. Start mixing with a wooden spoon, use your hands as necessary to fully wet the mixture (the dough will be very wet and sticky). Cover dough with container top or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours place dough in the refrigerator overnight. (This helps make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

When ready to bake, place a metal baking pan (not glass) on the bottom rack of the oven. Fill it with water. (This helps steam the bread, giving it the nice crust.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, the water will heat up during the preheat. Meanwhile, butter the bottom of an 11 x 17 baking tray and sprinkle cornmeal over the butter to prevent the bread from sticking.

Sprinkle the dough with flour and flour your hands as well. Divide the dough into two even loaves, shaping each into a ball. Place on the baking tray, several inches apart. Sprinkle generously with flour. (You can also bake one at a time, saving the dough in the refrigerator for another day.) Let rest on the baking tray for 20 minutes. Right before placing in the oven, score top of bread with an “x” or other decorative mark, cutting right through the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 15-30 minutes before slicing.

Buttering the bread once served REALLY brings out the garlic and rosemary flavor.