I am always amazed when I bake bread. Amazed that “we” actually produced such an awesome loaf. Me, myself, and I, that is! Of course, with the help of my little yeasty-beasty sourdough starter friends. But then, why shouldn’t they help me out? I’ve been feeding them conscientiously every 7-10 days for months. We’ve become buddies, comrades, and allies in my quest for the perfect sourdough loaf. And they’ve been very patient with me. Sometimes I have used them to less advantage. Other times they have shown their true colors. And this, dear friends, is one of those times. If I do say so myself, this is one darn good loaf of bread. Period! It’s flavorful, but not over the top garlicky. It’s chewy, but not too chewy. And the crust is divine. All and all, I’d give this bread a rating of 9.8 out of 10. (Nothings perfect, after all.) But this bread is about as good as it gets. And extremely easy to build. And let me tell you true, this bread makes the best ever toast. Lightly spread with soft butter, there is just nothing better to accompany bacon and eggs.

Plus, no fancy ingredients, not even bread flour required for this loaf. Just plain old unbleached all-purpose flour. And even if you don’t have a cast iron Dutch oven or a cloche (clay baker), you can simply bake the boule on a piece of parchment paper. It will still taste delicious. The crust might not be as fabulous, but the chewy texture and the light sourdough flavor will still be present. And of course, the lovely roasted garlic.

So, I see nothing stopping you from building a loaf that will knock your friends and family’s socks off. (They don’t need them on anyway. It’s SUMMER!)

As always, be the one who brings the entire family together around the dining table. With heaps of good and healthy food and lively conversation. Because these precious days together will not last forever.

I remember how I felt some days while my kids were young. I’d ask myself will this ever end? Will I ever have any peace and quiet? Will there ever be any milk left in the refrigerator?? But those days did end, and honestly, I’d bring a few of them back if that were possible. Because they were also joyous days. Hectic, frantic, but very gratifying. And always full of love. And the best times we experienced together almost always revolved around the heart of our home – the kitchen. Good food always makes for better companionship. And as cooks, we can make that happen.

Peace and love to all.   

¾ c. sourdough starter discard   

½ c. warm water  

1½ tsp. instant dry yeast 

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1¼ tsp. kosher salt

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour (more or less)

1 head garlic, roasted* then cloves roughly chopped

extra virgin olive oil, for greasing bowl and brushing on boule after baking

super-fine sea salt, for sprinkling over baked boule

Combine the sourdough starter discard, water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and flour. Using your dough hook, knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and quite stiff, about 6 minutes.

Pour a bit of olive oil around the dough, and using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, form dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until doubled. (If you gently poke a finger into the dough, an indentation should remain when you remove your finger.)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle or oval about ½-inch thick. Spread the chunks of roasted garlic evenly over the dough. Roll into a log starting with a short side.

To form into a boule, gently bend one end up towards the middle. Do the same with the other end. Then turn the dough over and tug and tuck towards the bottom of the ball until you’ve formed the dough into a tight ball shape. Place the dough ball, smooth side up on a piece of parchment paper long enough to allow you to lower the dough into a Dutch oven or cloche (clay baker). Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let rest for 60 minutes. (It should just about double as it rises.)

Meanwhile, place your Dutch oven or clay baker (cloche), lid and all, in your oven. After the dough has been rising for about 30 minutes, pre-heat your oven to 425-degrees. When the dough has risen sufficiently, carefully remove the Dutch oven or clay baker from the hot oven. Immediately use a sharp knife or lame blade to score an X about ¼-inch deep into the surface of the bread dough. This allows the bread to expand without tearing as it bakes. (Don’t press down too hard. You don’t want to deflate the dough ball.)

Carefully remove the Dutch oven or cloche lid and place the parchment paper and loaf in the bottom of your Dutch oven or on the bottom portion of your cloche. Then cover and place in the pre-heated 425-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (Your instant read thermometer should read between 200 to 205-degrees.)

Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Brush generously with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with super-fine sea salt. Let cool completely before slicing.

Please note: If you prefer a crisp, chewy crust, don’t slather with olive oil. Leave as is.

Store leftovers at room temperature wrapped in a tea towel.

*To roast a head of garlic, cut off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cover and roast at 400-degrees for 60 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool until you can easily remove the golden, soft cloves from their paper-thin wrappers.