Garlic bread plaits
This is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for when you have lots of people coming round, or are hosting a kids party. Everyone loves garlic bread so it’s an ideal crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon celery salt or all-purpose seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
- ½ cup Parmesan finely grated
- 1 quantity basic pizza dough see recipe below
- ¼ cup butter melted
Basic pizza dough
- 4 teaspoons yeast 4 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar 1 teaspoon
- 1¾ cups warm water 1¾ cups
- 4 cups plain flour 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons for oiling bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and line two trays with baking paper.
- Add celery salt, half the thyme, half the sliced garlic and half the Parmesan to the dough and knead to combine. Divide into six pieces, then roll each piece into a tube about 30cm long. Pinch three tubes together at one end, then carefully plait them. Repeat.
- Place plaits on lined trays and dot with rest of garlic. Sprinkle with rest of thyme and Parmesan and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and puffed. Brush with melted butter while still hot.
Basic pizza dough
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and mix well. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the wet yeast mixture into the flour and form into a dough with your hands.
- Transfer to a clean, floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If too sticky, add a little flour; if too dry, add a teaspoon of water.
- Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled and puffed up.
- Remove from the bowl and knead again for 2-3 minutes.
Superb herbs
- Make rosemary and brie plaits by replacing thyme with roughly chopped rosemary and arranging sliced brie between the plait layers.
Notes
This dough freezes well. Make the garlic bread up until the point you would put it in the oven, wrap well in clingwrap and freeze. Make sure you defrost it fully before baking.
This recipe uses a combo of thyme and Parmesan, but rosemary and brie is also a winner.
If you don’t want to make the dough yourself, check out this garlic and herb bread recipe.