Recipe - Tear N Share Garlic and Bacon Bread

Who can resist a nice home-made garlic bread, and with the addition of bacon and mozzarella what's not to like. Soft, spongy and crunchy with pungent garlic butter. Great for a picnic with a nice green salad, or an informal lunch with friends with either home-made chilli, pasta or soup.

Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS

800 g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast
100 g stale breadcrumbs

BUTTER
1 bulb of garlic
500 g unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 tablespoon dried parsley
12 slices bacon, diced

METHOD

1. Put the flour, yeast and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Gradually pour in 550 ml of tepid water, continuously stirring and bringing in the flour from the outside as you go to form a rough dough.

2. Transfer to a flour-dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy. Place in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

3. Meanwhile make the butter - this is a big batch so the rest can be frozen. Use a garlic crusher to crush the garlic into the softened butter and add the parsley and a pinch of salt, then mix it all together.

4. Remove one quarter to use in the recipe, then place the rest on a sheet of greaseproof paper, roll it up into a log and twist the ends, then pop in the freezer.

5. Next fry the diced bacon in the olive oil until crispy and drain on kitchen paper.

6. Spread one third of your soft butter portion around the base and sides of a large metal tray (25cm x 35cm), then scatter in the breadcrumbs and shake around into an even layer.

7. Carefully mix the fried bacon into the dough and divide into 35 pieces, then, one–by-one, roll each one into a ball and place in the tray in rows – 5 balls across and 7 balls long is perfect.

8. Scatter over another third of the soft butter, in and around the balls. Leave to prove for another 1 hour 30 minutes, or until double in size.

9. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas.

10. Sprinkle the balls with a little salt and the mozzarella, then bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes,or until golden.

Allow to cool slightly and enjoy tearing and sharing this wonderful bread with family and friends.