Nigella Lawson’s Garlic and Parsley Hearthbreads

I told D before we moved in together that we were going to have to make room for my enormous cookbook collection in our new apartment, but it wasn’t until I started piling the books against the wall last month for lack of bookshelf space, that he quite understood what I meant. Thankfully we “inherited” a second bookshelf from a past roommate, giving my collection a proper home, as well as freeing up some floor space…

This recipe for Garlic and Parsley Hearthbread comes from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, How to be a Domestic Goddess. Nigella has a talent for making baked goods, both rustic and refined, seem utterly simplistic, and leads you through recipes as a friend would, with gentle nudgings in the right direction. One thing I particularly love about Nigella’s writing is the unparalleled way she describes a treat’s deliciousness. She says of dream bars, “on top is a sticky mixture of nuts and coconut bound by a tender, toffeelike chewy gunge,” and of chocolate macaroons, “Though description is irrelevant: the utter gorgeousness of just one mouthful of these chocolate macaroons…reveals the rank inadequacy of language.” For someone who describes her chocolate loaf cake as having “damp, heady aromatic denseness” and her cream cheese brownies as “rich, sweet, sharp, palate-cleaving,” its quite the complement to a dessert that it is beyond her ability to describe its lusciousness. Then again, if you’ve ever watched Nigella on TV, you are already aware that her words hold no flame to the look on her face when she takes a bite of her creation. Nothing makes you want to cook more than watching her hedonistic smile as she licks chocolate brownie batter off a wooden spoon. If you’re a guy, maybe you’re not thinking so much about cooking…However, if you’re attracted to men, then most likely you’re thinking about making those brownies to see the same smile on your guests faces as they delight in another fabulous Nigella recipe.

Back to the hearthbread (sorry guys…). All you need is your hands, a baking sheet, and a hot oven. Sure you can use the dough hook on your stand mixer to knead the dough, but for me, the whole point of baking bread from scratch is feeling the dough elasticize and strengthen in your palms. Nigella describes this hearthbread as “something between garlic naan and herby focaccia: dimpled, doughy, and headily pungent.” As usual, she gives an honest and accurate description of what will come from your oven. Enjoy!

Garlic and Parsley Hearthbreads (adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How To Be a Domestic Goddess)

Makes 2 6” x 10” breads, but you can shape them into rolls or rounds as you wish.

3 1/2 cups white bread flour (secretly, I used all purpose, and they turned out great! Don’t waste money on buying special flour if you don’t want to)

1 package (1/4 oz) rapid-rise yeast

1 tbsp salt

1 1/3 cup warm water

5 tbsp olive oil, plus 3 tbsp for garlic parley mixture, and more for greasing

1 large head fresh garlic, top sliced, drizzled with oil, roasted in the oven in foil at 375 for 45 minutes, until golden and soft

1/2 cup flat leaf parsely, minced

salt, for sprinkling

1 large or 2 small baking sheets, lightly oiled

Method (I’m being brief to avoid copyright issues, ok?)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine warm water and 5 tbsp olive oil in a measuring cup and flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir wet mixture into the dry one, combine and dump on your cutting board. Knead 15 minutes, or until dough is stiff and elastic and smooth. Clean your large bowl, lightly oil it and place the bread inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (on top of your stove, while the oven is heating is nice) for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, mince together your roasted garlic (which you’ve extracted from its bulb) and parsley and place in a small bowl. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and stir to combine.

3. After your bread has risen for one hour (it should be about double in size), punch down dough and dump onto your clean counter. Form into desired shapes and set on greased baking sheet(s). With your finger tips, take a pinch of the garlic and parsley mixture and press it into the top of the bread, creating green and golden flecked dimples on the top of your dough. Repeat until the mixture is gone and your bread is covered. Let rest for 20 minutes on the baking sheet(s) under a damp paper towel (or two).

4. Once the dough is rested, place in the oven on the baking sheets, and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden, and totally firm to the touch. You can tap the bottoms of the breads and if it sounds hollow, they’re done. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, to allow the crumb to set and dry. Enjoy!