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 sourdough starter (60 grams) discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1 head garlic see notes for substitutions
- 1½ cups filtered water (350 grams) 95º to 100º F
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour (525 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine salt (10 grams)
optional
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (125 grams) or Asiago or cheddar
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves (5 grams) 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 dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a dry area) and and let rise at room temperature or a warm area 4-12 hours (see chart in notes) to ferment. 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 450ºF. Do not add your Dutch oven or baking pot to the oven, it does not get preheated. 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.**If using a dark-bottomed pot, see recipe notes below.
- 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
FOR GRAMS MEASUREMENTS click on the METRIC tab above ingredients.
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.
I recommend using a clear glass mixing bowl for fermentation (rising). This allows you to see the activity on the dough's top and bottom. Often, the bottom of the dough will show a lot of activity, reassuring you that it's properly fermented.
Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the dough will not ferment (rise) properly.
Bulk Fermentation Rising guidelines:
Rising times will vary according to your room temperature and humidity:
- 80ºF about 4-5 hours
- 75ºF about 6-7 hours
- 70ºF about 8-9 hours
- For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more
- Place the bowl in the oven with the door closed and light on to create a slightly warmer climate without actually turning the oven on.
- Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising.
- Use the "proof" setting of your oven (I set mine to 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
- If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.
- I use a 9" round Silpat silicone sheet in my dark-bottomed cast iron pots. Place it in the bottom of your pot before adding the dough.
- Or add a layer of foil and an extra layer of parchment paper in the bottom of your cast iron pot.
- Check to see if the top of the loaf is golden and if it sounds hollow when tapped on.
- Check the internal temperature in the center of the bread. It should 195º – 200ºF when done.
- 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.
- Let the bread cool completely. Store it in a plastic bag at room temperature. I use a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to seal it and it stays fresh for about 5 days.
- This bread is ideal for freezing. Place in an airtight bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then slice and enjoy.
- Check out our in-depth guide on how to store fresh sourdough bread for more storage tips.
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
