Herb and Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
450gms Tuscany Bread Mix
2 tsp SNK Dry Active Yeast
Approx. 330mls warm water
2 tsp Cold pressed Sunflower Oil
Plus oil for the bench
2tbs minced garlic
1tbs Herb & Garlic Mix
1/4 cup olive oil
Hint: when measuring water, mls and gms are equal, so it is great to measure using digital scales.
Method
Mix
- Using a deep bowl (plastic is great) and a strong metal spoon (or Danish dough whisk), blend together the bread mix and yeast.
- Add in approx. 300mls of the water and the oil.
- Mix thoroughly using a cutting and turning action, until all the flour is incorporated, adding small amounts of the remaining water if needed. The dough should be stiff.
- Either spray your bench with water or spread a few teaspoons of oil on it.
- Using your plastic dough scraper, tip the ball of dough out onto the dampened bench.
Stretch and Folds
- Using a little technique stolen from sourdough breadmaking you can improve the structure of your dough by performing a couple of sets of what are called “stretch and folds” referred to in some recipes as “S & Fs”.
- With damp hands (oil or water), flatten the dough into a bit of a square, lift one side of the dough up and allow the weight to stretch the dough. Fold that edge into the middle and press in place. Repeat with the other 3 sides of the dough.
- Oil your bowl and place the dough back into the bowl, smooth side up.
- Cover your bowl with something dense like a thick towel, a lid or heavy chopping board. This will hold the warmth AND moisture in the dough.
- Leave the dough in a warm place for about 20 mins, then repeat the set of “S & Fs”, return the dough to the bowl again and leave to rise until fully double in size, at least an hour and a half.
Shape your Dough
- Clean your bench and dust generously with flour, tip the dough out onto the flour and flip the dough over, this ensures your dough is coated and won’t be too sticky.
- Use your dough chopper to divide the dough into 4 even pieces.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly but thoroughly oil your bread loaf tin.
- Flatten each piece of dough a little, going round the dough ball, grasp a small piece of the edge of the dough and fold into the centre, repeat 8-12 times, turning the dough a little as you go. This moulding tightens and strengthens the gluten and makes a smooth ball of dough. Flip the dough smooth side.
- Mix minced garlic, olive oil and herb & garlic mix. Coat each piece of dough
- Place the 4 pieces of dough into the tin.
Bake
- Turn on your oven. Oven Temp Fan-Forced 200°C / Electric 220°C / Gas 215°C
- When the dough has doubled in size, Spray the dough with water.
- Gently put into oven to bake.
- The loaf should be baked, with a crisp golden-brown crust, in about 20-25 mins. If not, cook longer, but remember to increase the oven temperature a bit next time.
- The loaf should be tipped out onto a cooling rack immediately. Leave to cool before slicing as bread keeps cooking for some time after coming from the oven.
- If the loaf does not readily tip out of the tin, put back in the oven and bake for about 10 mins more. Next time set your oven to a hotter temperature.