Garlic and Rosemary Polenta Bread
This garlic and rosemary polenta bread gets its flavor from fresh rosemary and buttery slow cooked garlic confit, but gets its perfectly airy and toothsome texture from polenta, the Italian version of cornmeal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- 2 heads of garlic confit* roughly chopped (see recipe, or sub roasted garlic)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Mix yeast into warm water and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
- While the yeast blooms, combine flour, polenta, salt and 1 tbsp olive oil (from the garlic confit if using) and mix well. Add the water with yeast and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- If using a stand mixer, fit it with the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be dense but springy to the touch. If the dough is sticking to your hands or the dough hook, add a little more flour.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large bowl. Transfer the dough to this bowl and swirl it around to coat on both sides completely. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 90 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Add the rosemary and garlic to the dough and knead by hand until it is evenly distributed.
- Preheat the oven to 425. Spread a handful of polenta on a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to this baking sheet and use your hands to form it into a loaf shape about 4 inches tall, 6 inches wide and 8 inches long. Cover the dough again and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.
- After the second rise, use a very sharp knife or razor blade to make a few slashes on the top of the dough.
- Bake in a 425 oven until the bread is golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. You can check the doneness of the bread by tapping on the bottom of it - it should sound hollow.
Notes
* Garlic Confit Recipe:
2 heads of garlic (about 20 cloves)
1-3 cups olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200. Break up the heads of garlic and peel them whole. Place them in an oven proof dish with a lid and submerge completely in olive oil. Cook until garlic is golden brown and completely softened, about 2 hours.