Golden crust and soft delicate crumbs, this Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Bread is a NO KNEAD, easy YEAST bread that needs no stand mixer to prepare the dough. The flavor combination of roasted garlic with fresh cilantro is amazing and to that I added some chili flakes for mild heat. It’s a delicious any day bread to be enjoyed with soup, open toast or sandwich.
NO KNEAD Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Bread
Several years back when I started baking bread, this flavor combination of roasted garlic with cilantro was my favorite. I used to however use the Kitchen Aid stand mixer to prepare the dough.
Once I got the hang of sourdough baking, I find extreme pleasure in no-knead bread. I prefer to stretch and fold the dough instead of kneading it using the stand mixer. The technique of stretching and folding and giving the dough time to relax, creates a lovely delicate crumb and golden crust.
Ingredients for Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Bread
Fresh garlic: I roast an entire head of garlic bulb and then pinch the cooked cloves out of the skin. You can use fresh garlic too, but roasted garlic gives a beautiful flavor and a mild sweet taste.
Fresh cilantro leaves: Feel free to substitute with any other greens of your choice
Chili flakes: This doesn’t make the bread spicy. I add little amount for a mild kick of heat.
Flour: I use a mix of all-purpose flour and wheat flour.
Salt: Used one in the dough and the second time in the filling.
Sugar: Helps to activate the yeast.
Yeast: I use active rise yeast, and this is the brand I buy.
Olive oil: You can use vegetable oil too if you don’t have olive oil.
Steps involved:
- Roast the garlic head and then mix it with cilantro, oil, salt and chili flakes to make the filling.
- Mix the flour with the yeast, let it rests for 1 hour.
- Then 1 stretch and fold and rest for 30 minutes.
- Next I strengthen the dough my following slap and fold method and let it rest for 2 hours.
- Spread the dough and add the filling, shape into a ball and rest for 1 hour.
- Final shaping and rest for 30 minutes.
- Bake at 500 F for 30 minutes and then at 475 F for 15 minutes.
Over all 5 hours to prepare the dough and 45 minutes to bake the bread.
You can avoid all these steps and make it easy by just mixing the flour with yeast and let the dough rest overnight in the fridge. Then next day, shape it and add the filling. Finally bake following the same temperature I mentioned above.
I personally prefer taking the multiple steps only because I take my bread baking very seriously and I do love a good delicate crumb.
Do I need a Dutch oven?
The texture of the bread comes out best when it is baked at high temperature covered. But you can surely bake in a cookie sheet too without covering. I could recommend spraying water in between baking the bread if you bake it uncovered. Or place an oven proof container in the bottom rack filled with water.
Why dust rice flour during final shaping?
As the bread bakes, rice flour creates a golden crunchy crust. Unlike wheat flour, rice flour doesn’t get burnt easy. If you don’t have rice flour, you can definitely use all-purpose flour too.
MORE BREAD RECIPES TO TRY
Homemade bread tastes best when enjoyed fresh. But if you need to store it for longer, then definitely place it in a zip lock and put it in the refrigerator. I store mine in a bread box and finish it within a week. I hope you will give this bread a try!

Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Bread
Golden crust and soft delicate crumbs, this Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Bread is a NO KNEAD, easy YEAST bread that needs no stand mixer to prepare the dough. The flavor combination of roasted garlic with fresh cilantro is amazing and to that I added some chili flakes for mild heat. It’s a delicious any day bread to be enjoyed with soup, open toast or sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Lukewarm water - 1 cup
- Sugar – 1 teaspoon
- Active rise yeast - 1 tablespoon
- All-purpose flour – 1 and ½ cups
- Wheat flour – ½ cup
- Salt – 2 teaspoons
- Chili flakes – 1 teaspoon
- Fresh cilantro leaves – ¼ cup finely chopped
- Little bit of Rice flour or all-purpose flour to dust on the dough for shaping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 F
Slice the top of the garlic head and place it on an aluminum
foil, drizzle little oil and then wrap the foil. Place it in the oven and bake
for 40 minutes. Let it cool down.
As the garlic roast, start preparing the dough.
In a glass pour 1 cup luke warm water, add the sugar and yeast and stir it. Then cover and leave the glass aside for 5 minutes to avtivate the yeast.
In a bix mixing bowl add the flour along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and give a mix. Then pourthe activated yeast and mix it around using a wooden spoon handle.
I add couple tablespoons more water (depending on the flour you are using, you might need more or less water). Using your hand mix the flour into a shaggy dough. We are not kneading here, just incorporting everything. Then cover the bowl and leave it aside for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, wet your hand and do a f stretch and fold of the dough. Wetting your hand will avoid the dough from sticking to your hand. Just pull the dough from one side towards upward and then fold on the other side. Repeat this on all the four side. (watch the video to understand better)
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Drizzle little oil on a big chopping board or your kitchen counter. Take the dough out of the bowl and slap and fold to strength the dough. Grab the dough with both hand then slap it on the board or kitchen counter, then fold it. (watch the video to understand better)
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 2 hours.
In the mean time prepare the roasted garlic and cilantro filling. In a plate or a bowl, add the finely chopped cilantro leaves, squeeze the roasted garlic clove to the same bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt, chili flakes and oil. Then smash everything.
After 2 hours of resting the dough should be fermented and doubled in size. Do not deflate the dough.
Transfer the dough to the chopping board or counter and using your hand pull the dough gently from all the sides to form a rough rentangle shape. Do not using a rolling pin.
Spread the roasted garlic and cilantro mix on the dough. Now lift one side and fold it half way, gently press the edges to seal. Repeat the same with the other side. Then fold it from bottom to top. (watch the video to understand better). Now tug the folded dough on all the side to a forma round shape. Some of the filling might ooze out and it's ok.
Pour little oil to the mixing bowl, and transfer the dough ball. Cover and leave it aside for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, dust little flour (rice flour or all purpose flour) to the chopping board and tranfer the dough from the bowl. Sprinkle little more flour on top and flip the dough.
Gently pull the sides of the dough to make it a small rough rantangle.
Pull the top side of the ractangle and fold it half way through. Press the edges gently. Then pull the bottom side of the rectangle and fold over to cover the first fold. Now gently lift the side using a bench scrapper if needed, and roll till the end. Then roll it around a little bit and tug the egdes to from a round shape. (watch the video to understand better)
Tranfer the dough the a dusted parchment paper and invert the mixing bowl on the shaped dough. Leave it aside for 30 minutes.
During time, place the dutch oven to the oven and preheat it to 500 F
After 30 minutes, transfer the dough along with the parchment paper to the preheated dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Then remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 475 F and bake for 15 minutes.
Once done, tranfer the bread to a cookie wire rack and let it cool down completely before you slice.
Notes
A no-knead bread doesn't need slap and fold or stretch and fold technique. But it definitely helps to make a soft airy crumb and a golden crust.
If you want a much easier method, then mix the flour with yeast and leave it aside for few hours or overnight in the fridge. Mix the roasted garlic and cilantro filling and shape it into a rough round. Let it rise and bake following the same method I mentioned.

Comments are closed.
Shumaila The Novice
January 20, 2014 at 10:06 AMI love roasted garlic but have never tried cilantro in bread. Sounds pretty interesting. Kudos to you for keeping up with your silent goal of baking breads! Baking them is a lot of fun and the results are always rewarding!
Pia
January 20, 2014 at 10:11 AMOpen a shop for heaven’s sake! This is beyond gorgeous.
Jultchik
January 20, 2014 at 10:30 AMAmazing Photos!
Meeta
January 20, 2014 at 10:48 AMOh I smell the aromas from across the oceans and continents. One of my goals this year is to bake more bread. In Germany one is spoiled for choice but I am looking forward to making bread with flavors that really call out for me … like this one.
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January 20, 2014 at 11:34 AMMy kind of everyday bread! Fantastic clicks, as always!
dixya
January 20, 2014 at 12:24 PMlove the roasted garlic on this bread. I have been wanting to make fresh bread this year too, maybe I should start with this one.
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January 20, 2014 at 12:49 PMAmazing recipe. This would be zoo good with some warm chicken or tomato soup.
I am not at all good at bread making. P likes sweet breads/buns. Those are the ones I am want to teach myself (well, some day)
Have a great week.
[email protected]
January 20, 2014 at 12:49 PMOmg, I meant soo & not zoo. LOL
Apu
January 20, 2014 at 1:31 PMDelish! I adore cilantro and garlic in bread.
Kristi @ MSFK
January 20, 2014 at 8:03 PMMMM my husband (and I) would LOVE this bread!! It looks so pretty too 🙂
Hari Chandana
January 20, 2014 at 9:12 PMLovely and flavorful bread.. looks tempting!!
Joyti
January 20, 2014 at 9:41 PMHappy belated New Year to you 🙂
The bread looks delicious. Stunning photographs 🙂
[email protected] is How I C
January 21, 2014 at 12:41 AMI want some of this right now. My favorite flavors are right here and i can’t wait to try this. And such a simple bread to boot!
easyfoodsmith
January 21, 2014 at 12:47 AMYou got me there with the roasted garlic. The bread looks perfect and tempting without a doubt.
Anita Menon
January 21, 2014 at 12:56 AMIs this a recipe out of Nigella’s How to be a domestic Goddess?
Your bread looks amazing! the photos say it all. I am sure this garlic scented bread must have warmed your bellies wonderfully.
Kankana Saxena
January 21, 2014 at 5:27 PMYes Anita, from that book and thanks a bunch 🙂
IshitaUnblogged
January 21, 2014 at 2:57 AMAmazing, amazing! Saw it in Instagram, now getting a glimpse of it from across the 7 seas! Cilantro, yeah why not? Am sure its got an amazing aroma. Gorgeous post. But that’s nothing new, right?
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
January 21, 2014 at 9:21 AMBeautiful savory bread, I love the roasted garlic and cilantro!
Manju @ Manju's Eati
January 21, 2014 at 11:24 AMI too love baking homemade breads and did try a few last year, but it’s been a while now since I made them again. and yes learning how to use yeast is quite a tricky thing, like algebra but once you learn the trick you can score near to a 100% 😉 Lovely shots and I bet that bread tasted so yumm!
Nandita
January 21, 2014 at 11:37 AMthe bread looks so scrumptious!!! Love the warm flavors that went into it 🙂
nipponnin
January 21, 2014 at 11:47 AMIncredible looking bread. All your photos are so enticing. I will love to make it today if I don’t have a doctor appointment, shoot! I just keep this recipe for later. Thank you for sharing.
Poornima
January 21, 2014 at 7:07 PMNothing like fresh home baked bread, love the flavors in this one! Hope to try soon!
Archana
January 22, 2014 at 4:14 AMBeautiful ! What lovely flavours !
Yvette @ Muy Bueno
January 22, 2014 at 7:43 PMLove the sound of your commitments! And that bread…oh my! Anything with roasted garlic is a winner in my book. Yum!
Zayna
January 23, 2014 at 6:04 AMYou had me at bread! Oh my… this looks amazing .. and not too difficult to make. Thanks so much for sharing.
Ash-foodfashionparty
January 23, 2014 at 8:34 AMMy favorite kind. There is definitely nothing like fresh baked bread and you’ve elevated it with roasted garlic, beautiful.
Veena
January 26, 2014 at 12:08 AMoh my… it looks utterly delicious…. amazing clicks…thanks for sharing
MB
January 30, 2014 at 2:20 AMI just discovered your blog today, and love, love it! This bread is gorgeous – I can’t wait to make it! My New Year’s Resolution has been to begin a food blog based on my travels, and am having a great time… I am completely inspired by your blog and your photography… thank you!
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January 31, 2014 at 12:57 AMWhat a beautiful loaf, it’s perfectly puffed and looks so tender.
Sabrina
February 2, 2014 at 12:22 PMHi Kankana,
I found you again. I lost your website for a while but now I am glad to find you here…with even more beautiful and interesting recipe. I love your new blog congratulations!
I changed a little my blog too, hope to see you there again. Did you try the gnocchi then? 🙂
Love this bread
Simi
February 2, 2014 at 2:48 PMReading this post was like reading my own resolutions… for the last few years its in my mind and trust me, I follow thru much better and it feels good.
The bread looks amazing and it’s so perfect and I just love the way you have captured it!
Shibi Thomas @ Flavz
February 3, 2014 at 12:29 PMThis year I started making notes of resolutions and its working so far, keeping my fingers crossed. The bread looks too good to pass it without trying. I love roasted garlic flavor and the clicks are too tempting!!!
Lan | morestomach
February 4, 2014 at 6:11 AMyour desire to bake bread for dinner often is so intentional and thoughtful, and the fact that after a few failures you still kept at it is admirable. this bread is beautiful!
Jodee Weiland
February 7, 2014 at 10:04 AMThis looks delicious! I do a Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions and love it, but your recipe looks just as enticing, so I definitely want to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Rosa
March 7, 2014 at 5:36 AMGreat flavors! This bread must taste out-of-this-world. Wonderful clicks, as usual.
Cheers,
Rosa
mjskitchen
October 14, 2020 at 4:53 PMNow that is one gorgeous loaf of bread! I bet it smelled wonderful while it was baking and then tasted just as good. I’ve made roasted garlic bread but never with cilantro. I love that addition. Thanks.