Flowerpot garlic bread
Makes 6 small flowerpots or 2 loaves 600g white strong/bread flour, plus extra for dusting 10g chopped fresh rosemary 12g salt 400ml water, warm 12g fresh yeast (or 6g dried yeast) 80g fresh garlic, finely sliced Butter, for greasing the pots Semolina or polenta, for coating the flowerpots Olive oil, for painting the surface Few sprigs of rosemary, for decoration 6 small terracotta flowerpots or 2 x 500g loaf tins 1 In a small mixing bowl, add the flour, rosemary and salt. Mix with your fingers and set aside.
2 Pour ¾ of the water into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast. If you’re using dried yeast, soak it for around 10 mins or until it floats and starts to bubble.
3 Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir slowly with your hands until it comes together. If too dry, add the rest of the water.
4 Cover with a shower cap or a bowl and leave to stand for 10 mins. 5 When ready, knead the dough gently to get rid of the lumps and release any trapped air, then flatten to a pancake shape.
6 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface using a plastic scraper, then divide into 6 equal portions. If you’d prefer to bake as loaves, divide the dough into 2 portions. Flatten each portion into a rectangular shape.
7 Place the thin slices of fresh garlic onto the flattened rectangular dough. Fold the sides of the dough into the middle and roll up into a loaf shape.
8 Grease the inside of the flowerpots with butter and sprinkle a little semolina or polenta inside. Place the portions of dough into each of the flowerpots, then paint the top with olive oil and stick a sprig of rosemary in each one.
9 Put the flowerpots on a baking tray, cover with clean mixing bowls and leave in a warm place for around 1 hr, or until risen over the top of the pots. When it’s about 2–3cm above the surface of each pot, it’s ready to bake.
10 Preheat the oven to 250C/
Fan 230C/Gas 9 and place a deep roasting tray on the bottom of the oven. Place the baking tray of flowerpots in the oven and pour a cup of water into the hot roasting tray to create steam. Lower the oven temperature to 200C/ Fan180C/Gas 6 and bake for 20–35 mins, or until golden brown. Turn the breads out of their flowerpots or loaf pans and allow to cool on a wire rack before tucking in.
Taken from The First-Time Bread
Baker by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou (Ryland Peters & Small). Photography: Steve Painter © Ryland Peters & Small