Garlic Batard Bread recipe makes an artisanal bread that looks like it came from a bakery but is just as easy to make at home. This French-style loaf of bread has a crunchy crust and a tender center with a smooth garlic flavor.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the poolish ingredients. Mix until combined. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours or until large bubbles and holes emerge.
Roasted Garlic
Slice the top 1/4 off the bulb of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap completely in aluminum foil. Put into a 425 °F oven for 35 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool to touch. Squeeze from the bottom to remove garlic into a dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or 3 months in the freezer.
Dough
Add the water to the poolish and mix to combine. Add the flour and garlic. Mix to combine. The dough will feel tough and look craggy. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. This allows the gluten to start developing and will make kneading easier. Add yeast and salt. Knead the dough until it's fairly smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. It still will not feel elastic but will be smooth.
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, flipping once to oil both sides. Cover and allow it to rise at room temperature, 1 1/2 hours. To allow the gluten to develop and distribute the yeast's food, turn the dough every 30 minutes during rising time; gently fold all four sides into the middle and turn the dough over each time.
On a lightly greased work surface, divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a rough log, cover and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax. Shape the logs into 12-inch batards.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature about 2 hours. They should rise about three-quarters of the way to doubled. Don't over-rise or they will lose their shape.
Set oven rack to middle position. The oven should be preheated to 425 °F, making sure you give it plenty of time to preheat. This bread needs to go into a hot oven. I also preheated a baking stone instead of baking my bread on the baking sheet and slid it onto the stone using the parchment paper.
Hold a sharp knife or razor at a 10 to 20-degree angle and make 3 to 4 slashes vertically down the length of the bread, each running about 1/3 the length of the bread. Spray the loaves with warm water.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the bread registers 190 °F. Turn the oven off and crack the door open about 4 to 6 inches, and allow the bread to cool in the oven. This will help the crunchy crust to develop.
Bread should be eaten the same day it is baked. These loaves will go stale. Day old bread can be reheated for 5 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 °F oven.
Notes
The poolish is made the day before and adds to the development of flavor. The garlic can be baked in advance as well. Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour European-Style Hearth Bread.
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.