Sourdough Herb and Garlic Bread Recipe

Garlic bread is something most people think of as a side dish, a baguette split open, smeared with garlic butter, and toasted. But what if the garlic was baked directly into the sourdough itself? Not raw garlic, which would be harsh and overpowering, but roasted garlic, sweet, mellow, almost caramelized, folded into the dough along with fresh rosemary and thyme. The result is a loaf that perfumes your entire kitchen as it bakes and delivers garlic and herb flavor in every single bite.

This is one of my most requested recipes, and for good reason. It is a crowd-pleaser that works as well alongside a weeknight pasta dinner as it does on a holiday table.

Roast the Garlic First

You need to roast the garlic before it goes into the dough. Raw garlic is too harsh and can actually inhibit yeast activity. Roasted garlic is sweet, soft, and spreadable, it integrates beautifully into the dough without fighting the fermentation.

Cut the top off 2 whole heads of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until the cloves are golden and soft enough to squeeze out like paste. Let cool completely. Squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins, you should have about 40g of roasted garlic paste.

Ingredients

• 400g bread flour
• 280g water (room temperature)
• 80g active sourdough starter
• 8g fine sea salt
• 40g roasted garlic (from about 2 heads)
• 10g fresh rosemary (roughly chopped)
• 5g fresh thyme leaves
• 15g olive oil
• Flaky sea salt and extra rosemary for the top

Method

Step 1: Mix the flour, water, and starter until no dry flour remains. Rest for 30 minutes (autolyse). Add the salt and olive oil, squeezing and folding until incorporated, about 2 minutes. The oil makes the dough feel slippery at first, but it will absorb fully with a few minutes of working.

Step 2: Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds during the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, spaced 30 minutes apart. During the second set, add the roasted garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Spread the garlic and herbs across the dough surface, then fold them in with 4 to 6 stretch-and-fold motions. They do not need to be perfectly distributed, pockets of concentrated garlic are actually a feature, not a bug.

Step 3: After the last set of folds, leave the dough alone for another 2 to 3 hours until it has risen by 50 to 75 percent. It should feel puffy and airy, and you should be able to see and smell the herbs and garlic throughout.

Step 4: Preshape into a round on a lightly floured surface. Rest for 20 minutes. Final shape as a boule, fold the edges toward the center firmly to create surface tension, flip seam-side up into a floured banneton. Some garlic pieces will be visible on the surface, which is fine, they will caramelize beautifully during baking.

Step 5: Cover and cold proof in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours. The cold retard lets the garlic and herb flavors permeate deeply into the dough. A minimum of 12 hours gives the best flavor development.

Step 6: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Turn the cold dough out onto parchment paper. Score with a single deep slash. Sprinkle a few fresh rosemary leaves and some flaky sea salt on top before loading.

Step 7: Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown. The exposed garlic pieces will be toasted and caramelized, and the rosemary on top will be fragrant and crispy. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

Serving

This bread is incredible on its own, just tear off a piece and the aroma hits you. It is spectacular alongside pasta, soup, or a rich stew. Sliced and toasted, it makes the best garlic bread you have ever had (garlic bread made from garlic bread, inception). It also makes an unforgettable grilled cheese sandwich.

For more flavored sourdough ideas, try Sourdough Cheese Bread or experiment with additions in my Focaccia Recipe.