Here it is, the refashioned, corrected garlic bread recipe, fresh out of the oven in my kitchen here at home and on it's way to the neighbours any minute now (we get a bit of a baking glut in our house).
Starting with the money shots:
The changes:
For the pre-ferment
I've separate the ingredients and method from the main recipe, meaning that you could substitute the same weight and consistency of sourdough starter for the pre-ferment (lengthening the times for the final dough accordingly, probably stretching the total final dough time to about 3 - 5 hours depending on the temperature).
As is, I've halved the yeast and used a little more than half the water and a just over a third of the flour. This means that there is much more flour left (for the yeast to ferment) when you mix your final dough. The pre-ferment water temperature is much higher, which get the yeast activated quicker. After about 2 hours the number of yeast cells in the pre-ferment will have doubled
For the garlic filling
I've increased the amount of water and reduced the quantity of sugar (I never liked it too sweet). Other than that I've left it almost the same. Don't see where the excess liquid comes from, after 5 minutes even with the increased water barely any syrup remains. But to be sure I've added that the liquid should have reduced to a "thick caramel".
For the dough
Here I've dropped the '00' flour and used all strong white bakers flour instead to simplify it. I would add the substitution of a small amount of '00' in place of the strong white flour in the main dough (which will make the crust a little crisper, but will require less water in the mix) as a suggestion rather than 'a must' in the recipe. As the recipe now uses 100% strong white bakers flour I have increased the water in the dough by 50ml. For all you percentage lovers reading this makes the water in the final dough 80% of the total flour weight. I've introduced 3 short kneads in the bowl at 10 minute intervals. I find this produces a great result without affecting the dough temperature - energetic slapping, kneading and flicking the dough wont give a better result, possibly a worse one, but might give you a satisfying buzz - hey, whatever rocks your boat.
for the mixing and folding
I've introduced three short 10 sec kneads at 10-minute intervals at the beginning, then left the dough for 30 minutes, gave it one stretch-and-fold, then left it another 30 minutes before adding the garlic. This means the garlic is added after 1 hour rather than 3 hours, so the dough is much more lively before it goes into the oven.
for the baking
Few ovens can reach 250C! The baking time is simply wrong. Far too high, and far too long. Bake at 200C for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a good deep golden brown.
for the pre-ferment
200ml water, at about 35C - 38C (95F - 101F)
1 tsp fast acting yeast
200g strong white bakers flour
for the dough
225ml water at 20C (68F)
325g strong white bakers flour
10g sea salt
75ml extra virgin olive oil
for the garlic filling
3 heads garlic, separated
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
50ml water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 spring fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
for the pre-ferment
To easily get the temperature of the water roughly correct measure 100ml of boiling water and add 200ml cold water, then measure the amount you need from this. Stir in the yeast then, when dissolved, stir in the flour until evenly combined.
Leave the mixture covered at about 20C - 22C (warmish room temperature) for 2 hours, stirring the ferment once after an hour to bring the yeast in contact with new starch to ferment.
for the garlic filling
Break the heads of garlic into cloves and place in a saucepan, cover with boiling water from the kettle and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes.
Then strain the garlic from the water, cover the cloves with cold water to cool then peel the slivery skin from the garlic. It's surprising how few cloves you get after peeling so don't be alarmed if "3 heads of garlic" sound like way too much.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then place the add the cloves to it and cook until they are lightly brown (not burnt) on the outside. If you burn the garlic the flavour is nasty and you will have to start again, or serve it to your friends with a straight face, so watch them carefully.
Measure the balsamic and the water then add this to the pan with the sugar, salt, pepper and rosemary. Simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced to a thick caramel.
Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool. The garlic cloves should be tender when pierced with a knife.
back to the dough:
After 2 hours the pre-ferment should have doubled and look bubbly on the surface. Measure the water into a bowl and tip the pre-ferment into it. Break it up with your fingers until only small thread-like bits remain (this is the elastic gluten you can feel in your fingers)
Add the flour and salt then stir the mixture together with your hands. It will feel very sticky and elastic. Scrape any remaining dough from your hands, cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes so that the flour has time to absorb moisture before being kneaded. Be sure to scrape around the bowl to make sure all of the flour is incorporated into the dough.
Pour 2 tbsp olive oil onto the surface of the dough and smooth it over the surface with your hands. Now rub a little oil on your hands and start to tuck your fingers down the side of the dough, then pull the dough upward stretching it out.
Rotate the bowl as you do this, so that all of the dough gets pulled and stretched. You'll find that the dough starts to feel and look smoother. Leave the dough in a ball, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Repeat the pulling and stretching of the dough, for no more than about 10 - 12 seconds. You may find that an oiling piece of dough breaks through the upper surface. This isn't a bad thing, but it is a sing to stop working the dough. Cover the bowl again and leave for a further 10 minutes.
This time oil a piece of the worksurface about 30 cm in diameter. Oil your hands, pick the dough out of the bowl, place it on the oiled surface and knead it gently for 10 - 15 seconds. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
Uncover the dough, oil the worksurface once more and flip the dough out onto it.
Stretch the dough out into a rectangle, then fold the right hand side in by a third.
Then fold the in by thirds again so that your left with a square dough parcel. Place this back in the bowl, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
Lightly oil the worksurface again and stretch the dough out to cover an area roughly 30cm x 20cm. Dot the garlic over the 2/3rds of the surface and then fold the bare piece of dough over a third of the garlic-covered dough (in the pics above I've folded the right-hand piece of dough over).
Then roll this fold of dough over so that the remaining garlic-covered piece is covered by dough. Then fold this piece of dough in by a third, as shown in the pics above....
...then in by a third again. Finally place the folded dough back in the bowl, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
Wipe the oil off the worksurface and lightly dust it with flour. Pin the dough out again as above and fold it in by thirds each way. Replace it in the bowl, cover and leave for a further 30 minutes.
Pin the dough out again fold it in by thirds each way again as shown. Leave the dough for 10 minutes while you prepare the tray the bread will rise on.
Cover a large dinner tray with a tea-towel. Lightly dust it with white flour, then cut the dough into thirds with a serrated knife.
Place the dough cut side upward on the tray then pinch the fabric between each so that they stay separated.
Cover and leave for 45 minutes while you heat the oven to 200C (same for fan assisted)/390F/gas mark 5-6. I put a large unglazed terracotta tile in the oven and shovel the dough directly onto it with the back of a small cookie tray. It gives a much better finish and perhaps the bread is slightly crisper, but the bread will still be good placed on a tray just before baking. I also put a small tray of water in the bottom of the oven so that the heat is a little moist, which will help the bread to rise and colour.
Lightly dust the back of a cookie tray (if you have a stone in the oven) or the surface of a baking tray with semolina or flour. Carefully pick the dough up off the cloth, scooping it in from end to end with your finger then quickly lift it clear of the cloth and onto the tray.
Either shovel the dough onto the hot stone, or place the baking tray in the oven, shut the door quickly and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until the loaves are a good rich golden brown
