Tear and Share Cheesy Garlic Bread

Okay, I know that it's Easter, which basically means chocolate season. And I am all about the chocolate. I don't do much sweet Easter baking because I'm too focused on yumming chocolate eggs into my face.

But if you're anything like my family, Easter is a time for people to come together and eat. So I've found the perfect side for your Easter buffet. Everyone does an Easter buffet, right?

It is an acknowledged truth that everyone loves garlic bread.

It’s like the universal amazing starter/side – carbohydrate-loaded, highly flavoured, a wee bit greasy.. It ticks all the boxes.

I'm literally salivating right now

But, like all awesome things, it is also ridiculously decadent and should really be saved for special occasions. Oh, hello, Easter.

I could eat all of these right now/

This bread is really really simple to whip up. It takes a little time while you’re allowing the dough to rise, but that’s good if you’re also cooking lots of other things at the same time. This is why it is the perfect dish for a party, imagine throwing this down in the centre of a table – people would be so happy.

Serves.. well, it makes about 24 individual garlic bread balls. So that could serve 2-12, depending on how much the people at your table love garlic bread. I'm not judging.

Ingredients

• 400g bread flour
• ½ of a 7g sachet dried yeast
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 25ml olive oil
• 250ml tepid water
• 70g unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• A few basil leaves, chopped finely
• Sprinkling of cayenne pepper
• Few handfuls of grated mozarella (optional)

Method

Place flour, yeast and salt in a bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle and pour in the oil and water.

Mix together, drawing flour into the centre from the outside until the dough comes together.

Kneed (either on a floured surface or in the bowl) for 5 minutes until the dough becomes all smooth and stretchy.

Let rise in a bowl covered in cling film for 45 minutes, until approx. doubled in size.

                                  

While it’s rising, make the garlic butter. Place the butter in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add in the garlic, basil and cayenne, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Mix all together and set aside.

When the bread is nearly done, take a medium sized deep baking tray (I use one similar to one I use for brownies) and prepare it by greasing with 1/3 of the garlic butter.

Now, take the dough and start rolling it into separate little balls, about half the size of a clementine.

Add these to the baking tray with a little space between each. I ended up filling the whole tray with 24 little balls.

Again, cover in clingfilm and let rise for 60 minutes.

Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Gently dot with 1/3 more of the butter and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until risen and golden.

About 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, sprinkle with the cheese (if you’re doing that) and cover with the rest of the butter and allow to bake for the rest of the time.

Cheese-time!

I can't paint. But I have made a work of goddamn art

When the cheese is melted and everything is golden and delicious, remove from the oven.

Serve immediately, when hot and delicious. I dipped mine into my Bolognese and it was perfection.