Rosemary Garlic Bread

As a lot of us know, garlic bread takes a long time to make.  Well, this one was worth the time!  It produces 3 loaves, so be prepared.  Make sure you have at least 2 cookie sheets available to make this.

Makes: 3 loaves

INGREDIENTS
5 whole garlic bulbs (not cloves, BULBS)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup miced fresh rosemary or 4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (I used dried)
1 tbsp chicken broth
9 to 9-1/2 cups bread flour (i used all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup sugar
3 packages (1/4 oz each) quick-rise yeast
3 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup water
3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided (i used margarine)
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp garlic salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut top off garlic heads, leaving root end intact. Place cut side up in a small baking dish. Brush with oil; sprinkle with rosemary. Cover and bake at 425 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until softened. Cool for 10 minutes; squeeze softened garlic into a bowl. Add broth; lightly mash.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk, water and 1/2 cup butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Beat in egg and garlic paste until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Divide each portion into three pieces; shape each into an 18-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Melt remaining butter; add garlic salt. Brush over bread. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.


TIPS FROM ME
 It was my first time roasting garlic.  Make sure to use a very sharp knife to cut off the heads of the garlic or you may end up breaking off some of the cloves.  This happened to me on two of the bulbs, but then I sharpened a knife and all was well afterward.  Also, if some of the cloves are small (like some of mine were) then cut the heads of the small ones off separately from the rest.  It's best to attempt to leave as much garlic as possible.

Make sure you cook the bulbs long enough!!  I should have left mine in for about 5 or 10 minutes longer.  When I attempted to squeeze them into the bowl, it was tough and I was burning my hands.  I attempted to use oven mitts to avoid the heat, but it was harder to squeeze them.  Also, be aware that you might get some of the garlic shells in the bow.  Be aware and remove any shell that falls into the bowl.

Use a light-colored cookie sheet if possible.  The dark ones will cause the bottom of your bread to cook too fast.  If you don't have a light colored cookie sheet, make sure to move the oven rack up higher so the bottom of the bread doesn't cook so fast.

The bread tastes best straight out of the oven.  Enjoy with some oil and balsamic vinegar or any dipping of your choice.  Definitely a favorite.  Yum!