Garlic Bread - and intro

[TheNoodleIncident]

hey everyone - im new here....ive read through the forums a few times, but this is my first post

im 26, from ny, and a pretty decent home cook (no formal training - unless lots of reading, watching cooking shows and reading forums similar to this one counts)

anyway, my question is a pretty basic one, almost a little silly, but im not a baker and would like some opinions

so i want to make some "homemade" garlic bread, and was planning on taking the easy way out by using this pre-made, chilled pizza dough i can get at the store....used it many times before for pizza, and it's actually pretty decent stuff....so my plan is to roll it out into a rectangle shape, then thinly coat it with a mixture of butter, minced garlic, salt, maybe parsley, and maybe some other stuff....i would then roll it up, seal it with a touch of water or eggwash on the edge, then bake it on a stone....i was thinking 400* or so (i would do pizza at 450 or 500, but i think the thickness of the bread would call for a slightly lower temp), and judge doneness by appearance and possibly temp via thermometer (what temp am i aiming for?)

so, most importantly, what do people think about this rolling method? any better ideas regarding technique, cooking times/temp, and seasoning?

thanks in advance

if anyone is interested, im going to serve it with pan seared lamb steaks, with a side of mashed cauliflower ...and might try to use to lamb fond by reducing some balsamic in the pan with a sprig of rosemary, to make a quick dipping sauce for the lamb (haven't made that specific sauce before, so we'll see if it comes out ok)

 

[jabbur]

It sounds good to me. I'd add some grated parmesan cheese and forgo the salt. I think this would be a good addition.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I say ... Go for it!! What have you got to lose except a little dough and stuff..?
Even if it doesn't work well -- Think about the education you got, and the fun you had doing it!!!

Shoot! Just have Fun & Enjoy!

 

[TheNoodleIncident]

cheese is a good idea - had thought of that earlier, and then forgot...thanks for reminding me

and i agree about just having fun - thats usually the plan for me....but im making this on v-day, so im hoping it will come out right on the first shot....not that my wife will really care if it doesnt come out perfect, but i will ....she always tells me everything i make is fantastic.... hopefully she doesnt lie too much

my only concern with the rolling method is that the center won't be cooked...i had one experience with this - made a pizza, topped the whole thing, ready to go into the oven - only to discover that i forgot to flour the underside and it was hopelessly stuck to the counter (i was so mad at myself for making such a dumb mistake)....my only option was to roll it into a pizza-pinwheel thing - tasted very good, but the inside was just slightly too doughy....thats why im dropping the temp this time, but if other people have experience making garlic bread while baking the dough (as opposed to making it after the bread is already cooked), i would be happy to hear their tips

again, thanks for the replies

 

[sparrowgrass]

You don't have to roll it--leave it flat and call it foccacia.

 

[Greg Woulf]

I'm not an expert, but I think you'll get something different than you want the way you're talking.

If you want garlic bread I'd bake up the dough like bread. If you bought it cooled I'd put it in your baking pan, or on a stone and cover it and let it try to rise for an hour. Then I'd bake it at 350 for 20 minutes or so.

Then I'd bake it, slice it, garlic and butter it up and toast it.

The other way to go is to make garlic rolls, but I do those a different way than what your dough is.

 

[CookinNow]

If you want a different version try this: Buy some decent submarine rolls. Slice the rolls in half lengthwise. Generously butter the inside of the rolls then sprinkle very generously with garlic powder. You need a lot of garlic powder so don't be skimpy. I would say it takes about 2 teaspoons of garlic powder for one half of a six inch submarine roll. It sounds like a lot but it's not. Lastly, grill the rolls butter side down in a skillet on medium heat until it's nicely browned.

I think you'll like this very much.

Good luck.

Jeff

 

[GHPoe]

I am not sure if this is what you want, but sometimes I get those freshly baked french bread dollar loafs. Slice it up. Lay it out on a cookie sheet. Melt down a stick of butter and brush it on the tops. Then I sprinkle some of that garlic salt (the kind with the green leaves in it) on top and bake. I'd cook it around 400 deg. and just watch it until its crispy enough.

It's all about the butter in good garlic bread.

 

[LaurenG]

This sounds like a fun idea I would love to try myself. When I make regular garlic bread I first spread on the thinnest layer of mayo, it sounds weird, but I've had good results. Also, I like a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese too.

 

[TheNoodleIncident]

well, the garlic bread was really good...

i minced the garlic and sautéed it in olive oil over low heat (no browing - guess thats not technically a sauté, is it?) for a few minutes to take out some of the bite and infuse the oil....once that was done, i melted in some butter for flavor....as that cooled a bit, i rolled out the dough and painted the garlic mixture on, then sprinkled on a layer of parmesan cheese (good tip, thanks!)....rolled it all up (gotta be careful about all the edges, cuz the oil can start to leak out) and place it on a pre-heated stone in a 400* oven....not sure how long i cooked it for, maybe close to 20-25 minutes, but long enough to get a good golden brown.....let it cool slightly, then sliced it up - fantastic! my wife and i are usually health freaks, so this was a huge treat for us haha

thanks everyone for the advice

the rest of the meal also came out great - the lamb steaks from Whole Foods are really awesome....def try them if you have a store near you