Sourdough Garlic Bread + Video Tutorial
Slices of soft sourdough garlic bread are incredibly delicious for sandwiches and garlic toast! This garlic sourdough recipe is a must-make.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 293kcal
Equipment
- Aluminum foil 12-inch square sheets
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
- 30 inches parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 grams) sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1 head garlic see notes for substitutions
- 1½ cups (350 grams) filtered water 95º to 100º F
- 4 ¼ cups (500 grams) bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon (9 grams) sea salt
optional
- 1 cup (4 ounces or 100 grams) shredded Gruyere cheese or Asiago or cheddar
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves or your favorite dried herbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Lay the head of garlic on its side on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top of the bulb. Place the head in the center of a 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Drizzle oil of the cut portion. Twist the top of the foil to completely enclose the garlic. Bake it in the oven for 30 minutes. Start making the sourdough bread while the garlic is roasting.
- Add the sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl. Pour in warm, filtered water, and stir until dissolved. Add bread flour and salt to the bowl. Combine using a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms. Wet your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand. Cover the sourdough with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the garlic is done roasting, use scissors to cut off the top of the foil. Using tongs, remove the garlic to a cutting board or a plate. Turn the garlic on its side and mash the garlic with a large fork to squeeze the roasted garlic out. Use 2 tablespoons for the sourdough garlic bread recipe.
- Lightly flour your countertop or work surface, then use your fingers to coax the dough from the bowl. Add the roasted garlic and cheese (if using) to the top of the dough, then knead them in for about 1 minute. The fillings should be evenly distributed in the dough.
- Return the sourdough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise overnight in a warm space (72º-80ºF) for 8-10 hours. Do not refrigerate the dough.
- After fermentation or bulk rise, lightly flour your countertop and shape the dough by stretching and folding: pull an edge of the dough 5" and tuck it into the middle of the dough, then rotate the dough 1/4 of a turn and stretch and fold again. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a medium bowl with a floured towel, or use a banneton bowl with a linen cover and dust heavily with flour. If using dried rosemary or herbs, spread them across the flour before adding the dough. Add dough to bowl and let rise for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450º (without the Dutch oven pot). Cover the dough bowl with a long piece of parchment paper, and turn it over onto the countertop. Slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the lid. Do not preheat the pot.
- Place the covered pot with your bread dough in the oven and bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot and bake for 20 more minutes. Remove the bread from the pot (this is why we use parchment paper) and bake it directly on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the exterior.
- Let bread cool at least one hour before cutting and serving.See Notes below for instructions on making garlic toast from slices of sourdough garlic bread.
Video
Notes
This recipe uses a discard or unfed sourdough starter, which means one that was fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. Our recipe does not use a starter that's at its peak when mixing the dough. A 100% hydration sourdough starter works best for this recipe.
Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the fermented yeast will not rise overnight.
Overnight rising guidelines
Rising times will vary according to your room temperature and humidity:
80ºF about 4-5 hour
75ºF about 6-7 hours
70ºF about 8-9 hours
For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more
How to Store and Reheat:
If your goal is to make this recipe ahead of time, don’t refrigerate the dough — this is a room-temperature rise recipe. Instead, just bake it and store it at room temperature. It lasts for 5 days this way, and you can always warm it in the oven.
Don’t refrigerate the loaf, either, or else the crust will harden and get stale.
You can also freeze the loaf after baking. It keeps for up to 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature.
- If you wish to substitute roasted garlic, use 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic or 1 tablespoon of dried garlic. If using dried garlic, add it in with the flour when mixing the sourdough.
- Store sourdough bread at room temperature in a bag for up to 5 days.
- Arrange 1/2-inch thick slices of sourdough into an even layer on a baking sheet or toaster oven pan.
- Using a butter knife, apply a thin layer of butter onto one side of each slice of bread, then sprinkle a pinch of garlic salt over the butter.
- Toast under an oven broiler or in a toaster oven until slices are toasted and golden brown.
Don’t refrigerate the loaf, either, or else the crust will harden and get stale.
You can also freeze the loaf after baking. It keeps for up to 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg