Roasted Garlic No Knead Bread

By Chris Siciliano

Here's another in the category of special-occasion breads. Like the popular Red Cheddar Flake, Roasted Garlic No-knead is not the kind of bread you slather with peanut butter for a wholesome breakfast on Monday morning. It is, however, the perfect thing to bring to a spaghetti dinner at a friend's house on Friday night. And since each loaf contains an entire bulb of garlic, we suggest you plan your schedule accordingly. Don't consume several pieces of this the night before a job interview, that is -- unless of course you're applying for a position with the California Garlic Council. If that's the case, then maybe the whole loaf is in order. For the recipe, see below.

• 454g (1 lb) bread flour
• 340g (12oz) water
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 11g (1.5tsp) salt
• 1 bulb garlic, par-baked, peeled, chopped (incorporate w/dry ingredients)

Tips & Tricks

• To learn the no-knead method, please click here.
• The best way to prepare garlic for this recipe is to par-bake it for 10 minutes at 425F. This will soften the garlic just slightly, making it a breeze to peel away the otherwise stubborn skins. Partially baking the garlic also releases aroma, which adds flavor to the dough as it rises overnight.
• Directions for bar-baking garlic: Preheat oven to 425. Break the bulb into individual cloves and arrange them on a baking sheet so that all are lying flat (not piled on one another). Bake for ten minutes until garlic is soft to the touch. Peel and chop when cool.
• I like to chop my garlic in all different sizes -- smaller pieces encourage uniform flavor, larger pieces seem to give texture to the finished bread. You can also smash a few cloves with the edge of your knife, making a paste which can be mixed into the dough with pleasing effect.
• Penzeys freeze-dried garlic is one good alternative to roasting your own. It has great taste with little hassle (if you consider roasting garlic a hassle). Depending on your love of garlic, one or two tablespoons will probably suffice. Just experiment.
• Vampires beware!