Tear 'n' Share Garlic Bread (GBBO Week 3)

It's bread week! GBBO was back on our screens with another epic episode featuring some scrummy loaves. I've opted this week to bake the signature challenge. The actual signature challenge was to bake a sweet chocolate loaf, however I've chosen savoury as I just really fancied some garlic bread!

This tear n share loaf is from the Jamie Oliver website, which I believe was also featured in his Comfort Foods book too. This is certainly something comforting! Beware, they are also VERY filling! We ate them for dinner tonight along with a roast chicken, and I think I could only manage 4 pieces! They are not light like the usual dough balls.

The butter in these balls has been infused with garlic, parsley and cayenne pepper to give them a little spice. They are not spicy however, but they certainly are moorish! Perfect to serve at a informal dinner party or on a picnic.

Makes 35 balls

Ingredients

800g strong bread flour + extra for dusting

7g dried yeast

100g stale breadcrumbs

1/2 bulb of garlic

250g unsalted butter (the original recipe states 500g in order to save part of it for another day, however I decided to half it. Use 500g and double up the rest of the butter ingredients if you wish to save some garlic butter in the freezer for another day)

Half lemon

Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

Method

1. Put the flour into a bowl and on one side put the yeast and the other the salt (this stops the salt from affecting the yeast).

2. Make a well in the centre a slowly pour in 550ml of tepid water whilst mixing slowly.

3. Once a rough dough has formed, continue to mix on the mixer for 10 minutes, at a medium speed. Take out and knead by hand for 5 minutes until springy and smooth.

4. Place in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot for 30 minutes to prove. I usually turn on the oven on a low heat and then turn it off and leave it to cool slightly, then put my bread inside to prove. This usually speeds up the process too. Prove until double in size.

5. Whilst waiting, make the butter mix: place the room temperature butter in a bowl and add: garlic crushed, cayenne pepper, chopped parsley, zest of the lemon and pinch of salt. Mix together.

6. Spread a third of the butter on the bottom of a 25cm x 35cm tray. Scatter the breadcrumbs evenly in the tray.

7. Divide the dough into 35 pieces and shape into balls. Place 5 across and 7 down, in the tray. Place pieces of another third of the butter, on top of the dough balls. Leave to prove again until doubled in size.

Pre-prove