Garlic Bread
1 cup sourdough starter*1 1/3 cups water
5-6 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
cornmeal and oil for the pan
*You can make your own 1 day ahead with 1 cup water, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tsp yeast, let it sit for 24 hours
Combine starter, water, and 2-3 cups flour in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let sit overnight. Then add sugar, salt, baking soda, and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead and let rise till doubled. (You can use your bread machine for this part.) Oil a baguette pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape the dough into 2 baguettes and place in the pan. Let rise till doubled. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.
2 bulbs (yes, that's BULBS, not cloves) garlic
plenty of olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Dry basil
Peel the garlic and coarsely chop. Place in a small bowl, then pour enough olive oil over to cover the cloves. Cover the bowl with foil and bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft enough to be easily mashed. Mash it well.
Slice open the baguettes longways. Drain the olive oil from the garlic and spread the mashed garlic along the bread. Sprinkle with cheese and basil, and wrap the entire loaf in foil.
If serving with pasta, I find the following times adequate for warming the loaves: If just prepared, so the loaf is at room temperature, put it in a 350 oven at the same time you start the water for the pasta. If it's been refrigerated, put it in a 350 oven 10 minutes before starting the water for the pasta.
from the kitchen of Cindy