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.

What is No Knead Bread 

As the name says, the bread dough needs no kneading. 

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.

Recipe Video

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 a little amount for a mild kick of heat.

Flour: I use a mix of all-purpose flour and wheat flour.

Salt: You season the dough and later again in the cilantro mix.

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 to make

1. Roast the garlic head by trimming the edge. Then wrap in an aluminum foil, drizzle little oil on top
2. Activate the yeast by mixing with sugar and mild warm water. If the yeast doesn't activate, then discard and make again.
3. Pour the activated yeast water to the flour along with little salt.
4. Mix the dough and then use the technique of stretch and fold to strengthen the dough. Watch the Recipe Video to understand the step better.
5. Let the dough rest for an hour or so, or until the volume doubles in size.
6. Mix copped cilantro leaves, with roasted garlic, chili flakes, olive oil and salt.
7. Stretch the dough into a rectangular shape and spread the mixture.
8. Then fold and make a dough ball. Let it rest for 30 minutes or so.
9. Score the dough on top, and you can add some cilantro leaves too.
10. 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.

Is there a quicker way ?

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, the next day, let it come to room temperature for a while, 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.

FAQs

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

Kankana Saxena

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.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 hrs

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 5 hrs 45 mins

Course Bread

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 ½ 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.

Video

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.