Artisan Egg Bread Topped with Freshly Roasted Garlic on Steakhouse Night at Home

Juicy Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon, baked sweet potato, a nice deeply rich cabernet, and hot out of the oven home-made bread smeared with soft butter and heaped with sweet roasted garlic, all served on nice linens with pretty stemware--night out at a restaurant? Nope, night in at home. 

 For great recipes and the full explanation behind the method, I highly recommend this book and its sequel Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (whole grained recipes). I was given these books as gifts (Thanks, Ann!) and they've quickly become two of my favorites. For years, I kept angel biscuit dough in the fridge so we could have fresh bread with dinner every night and/or kept frozen dinner roll dough in the freezer for the same reason. One of the things I like most about this book and its concepts are being able to make a week's worth of dough at one time and just pull off as much as I want to bake at one time, whether it's a small loaf or several dinner rolls. 

There is something so homey, cozy, and comforting about the smell and taste of warm fresh home-made bread that nourishes like nothing else. The ultimate topping? To me, that's a  little olive oil or butter, and either bitingly fresh minced garlic or its smooth and suave cousin, the sweet and mellow roasted garlic.  Directions for roasting garlic follow the bread recipe--such and easy thing to do while waiting for bread dough to rise! The reward is VERY worth it, and a plus side is the leftover garlic freezes beautifully to be used as needed in other recipes.

Challah is an egg-enriched bread traditionally served on the Jewish Sabbath. It has many similar counterparts in other cultures:  Brioche, Sally Lunn,

 Challah

From Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a  Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois

Makes 4 1-lb loaves. Recipe can be doubled or halved, and can stay in the fridge for 5 days.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast (two pkgs)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, or cooking oil
• 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Optional:  Egg wash (1 egg plus 1 Tbsp water, beaten)
• Optional:  Poppy or Sesame seeds for the top

Directions:

1. Mixing and storing the dough:  Mix together yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and butter (or oil) and the water in a 5-qt bowl or large container.

2. Mix in flour with spoon, heavy food processor, or stand mixer with dough hook.

3.  Cover lightly and allow to rise on counter until doubled, approximately 2 hours.

4. Dough is ready to be used or can be stored in the fridge in a lidded container for 5 days or after that long can be frozen in 1-lb loaves or rolls to be defrosted and given a final rise later.

5. To bake:  for a 1 lb loaf, pull off a hunk approx the size of a grapefruit.  Dust with flour and shape as desired. Lay onto greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet to rise for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Optional: Just prior to baking, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.

6. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake on cookie sheet or baking stone for approx 25 minutes for 1 lb loaf, less for dinner rolls, more for larger loaves.  Glenna's note:  Bread is done when it's nicely browned and sounds hollow when thumped.

Nutrition information per 1/32 of recipe:  Calories:  186; Protein: 6; Carbs:  26; Fat: 6; Fiber:  1; Weight Watchers Points:  5

 

 For recipe: click Roasting Garlic

 

 

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Comments

[Ashley Miller]

When I was still a kid, I don't like the taste and smell of potato. Nobody can ever let me eat that until my mother was able to discover this kind of dish for me to love potato for the rest of my life.