Health By Al

I discovered how easy it is to roast a head of garlic earlier this year, and this is one of the many ways I’ve loved incorporating it into our meals. The bread is a smaller version of this pizza dough recipe, and with the roasted garlic and spice blend, it will blow you away! This is the perfect way to elevate a basic pasta/roasted veggie night. Let me know in the comments if you try it. Thanks to my sister, Ashley for inspiring this recipe.

Ingredients: Serves 4-6 (Makes 2 loaves with 6 slices each)

Bread

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 & 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup & 2 Tablespoons water (room temperature)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups flour 

Toppings

• 1 head of garlic
• 3 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Begin making the dough by adding the warm water to a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add the room temperature water and the Tablespoon of olive oil and stir. Add the sea salt and flour and stir. 
4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp washcloth and let it raise for 1 hour. 
5. Cut off just the top of the head of garlic (the pointy side) with a large knife, exposing the cloves. Try to remove a bit of the paper skins without separating the clove (some paper will remain).
6. Set the clove down on a small sheet of foil and drizzle one teaspoon of the olive oil on top of the exposed clove. Cover the clove with foil and place it directly on the baking rack. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. Remove the clove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out of the papery skins and into a small bowl. Mash with a fork (it should be soft and easy to mash-if not roast for another 10 minutes).
8. Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. 
9. When the dough is done rising, divide it into 2 balls and let them rise for 10 minutes. 
10. Roll out the dough into 2 rectangles, about 5″x 8″. Brush each loaf with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Spread the smashed garlic evenly onto both loafs. Sprinkle each loaf with 1/2 a teaspoon of dried basil or oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
11. Bake 6-8 minutes, until slightly golden (don’t over-bake, you want just a few golden spots–if the whole thing is golden it will be too crispy).
12. Cut into 6 slices and enjoy!