I was at a friends home and was going through his books when i came across this recipe by Sara Lewis. The words ‘butter,garlic and basil’ caught my attention and right there i baked it, out of the blue, and it was sooo good I have been making it ever since. Make sure to eat this warm right out of the oven but if you want to do it in advance brush the hot bread with a little of the butter mix then leave to cool. Warm when needed and brush with more warm butter when ready to serve.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup warm water, you might need more or less
- Sea Salt
For the Finish:
- 50 gr butter
- 2 big garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Method:
- Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl and mix to incorporate.
- Add the olive oil.
- Gradually add enough warm water to form a soft dough.
- Tip on a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover well and leave to rest in a warm place till doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Once the dough is doubled in size knead it well and cut it in half.
- Take one half and roll it into an oval shape till it is about 1 cm thick.
- Transfer dough to a tray lined with baking paper.
- Using a knife, cut strips a little in from the edge of the dough so that the strips are attached.
- Sprinkle the dough with sea salt and leave to rest 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven on 180 and bake the bread for about 10-12 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the finish but placing the butter in a frying pan. Once melted add the garlic and cook till fragrant. Add the basil and turn off.
- As soon as the bread comes out of the oven brush the garlicky butter and serve.
Buon Appetito!