Easy Tear-Apart Bread with Olive Oil, Herbs and Garlic
For 1 medium loaf.
Ingredients
| 500 г | white flour (at least another 100–200 g, otherwise it stays a mush) |
| 1.5 чаена лъжица | salt |
| 1 чаена лъжица (5 г) | dry bread yeast |
| 1 чаена лъжица | sugar |
| 300 мл | warm water |
| 2 супени лъжици | olive oil (at least 4) |
| 2 | garlic cloves, pressed (6) |
| 3 супена лъжица | finely chopped fresh herbs (basil and oregano) |
Instructions
- For the dough, in the bowl of a mixer or a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar and water. Add 200 g of the flour and stir until you get a thin batter. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 15–20 minutes until the yeast puffs up.
- To the risen yeast add the remaining flour mixed with the salt.
- Knead with the mixer using the dough hook or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave at room temperature for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in volume.
- Meanwhile prepare the herb mixture. Mix the olive oil with the pressed garlic and the finely chopped herbs. Stir and set aside.
- Turn the risen dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Do not re-knead the dough so it does not become tough. If you do work it more, leave it for 5–10 minutes to relax and then roll it out.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle of approximately 42×24 cm. Its thickness should be about 6–7 mm.
- Spread the herb mixture over the dough.
- Cut the rectangle into 5 strips across its width.
- Stack the strips one on top of another.
- Cut into 5 equal pieces.
- Place each piece into a greased loaf tin measuring 25×11×7 cm. Arrange the pieces with one of the cuts facing up.
- Cover the bread loosely with cling film and leave to rise 30–40 minutes. Heat the oven to 220 ºC. Put the loaf tin on the middle level of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 190 ºC and bake the bread for another 20 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, release it from the tin and leave on a rack until cool.