Artisan Garlic and Herb Bread

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Proofing Time: 12

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Freshly baked homemade bread is the ultimate comfort food. There really is nothing like it! Artisan Garlic and Herb Bread is one of the most delicious and easiest breads you’ll ever make! Loaded with fresh chopped garlic and herbs, this bread is quite aromatic and very savoury!

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Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping and baking
1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups water, room temperature
4 cloves garlic, finely minced (you can use up to 6 cloves for extra garlicky flavour)
2 tablespoons herbs, finely chopped (use any combination of herbs you like, but they must be fresh!)

Instructions

In a glass bowl, add all of the ingredients, with the exception of the water, and stir together until well combined. Add the water and stir into the dry ingredients until a dough forms. This dough is meant to be wet and sticky. Don’t think that you will be able to form a perfectly smooth ball of dough. If you fear that the dough may be too wet, don’t add any extra flour to make the dough dryer. Put your fear aside and know that it will all work out in the end.
Form the dough into a ball – or as best you can! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm part of your kitchen. (I placed mine in the oven to escape any breeze from an open window.) Let the dough rise for a minimum of 12 hours. You can leave the dough to rise up to 18 hours, but no less than 12!
Once the 12 hours have passed, lay a large sheet of parchment paper on your countertop and lightly dust it with flour. With floured hands, remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball on the parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with flour and loosely cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for a minimum of 25 minutes, but no more than 40 minutes.
In the meantime, place your Dutch oven, along with the lid, into your oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
Once your oven is hot and the dough is proofed, remove the Dutch oven and lift off the lid. Using the parchment paper to assist, lift the dough ball and place it carefully into the hot pot. Keep the parchment paper under the dough. This will allow you to lift the bread out easily when baked. At this point, you can use a sharp knife to gently score the dough with any pattern you like, although it is not mandatory.
Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and pop it back into the hot oven. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.
Once baked, lift the bread out of the pot using the parchment paper once again to assist you. Place the bread onto a wire cooling rack. Slide the parchment paper out from underneath the bread and discard it.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

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