Dairy Free Garlic Bread

A different take on classic buttery garlic bread; a ciabatta loaf generously covered in garlic, dried oregano and thyme, rubbed with olive oil and sea salt and baked. A great accompaniment to a lot of dinners!

Garlic bread is quite a departure from the normal sweet tooth bakes I post on here. However, it is still baked (so totally appropriate to post on here, right?!) and I felt quite an important one to post. I used to love garlic bread – I would have fought you for a whole plate of Pizza Express garlic dough balls anytime – dripping with butter, perhaps coated with cheese, and always stuffed full of garlic. And then when I gave up dairy, I was a bit stumped. I had always bought garlic bread. Or eaten it in restaurants. And I get that the premise is simply garlic and butter – but that never seemed quite the same when I tried it!

I eventually came across a Jamie Oliver recipe, which was a great change from a standard, buttery garlic bread. Instead of butter, it used olive oil. Instead of a baguette, it used a ciabatta loaf. It was also covered in dried herbs and well seasoned. Now that looked interesting! That was something I had to try. And since then, I’ve mourned the loss of my dough balls no more. Well – a lot less!

The recipe is really simple and uses all store cupboard ingredients. All you need is a knife and an oven. No excuses not to try!

Takes 5 minutes, plus baking time. Serves 3 – 4.

Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

• 1 shop bought ciabatta loaf (most do not contain milk, but do make sure to check)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp good quality olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Using a bread knife, slice the loaf every 3 – 4 cm along at an angle, almost to the bottom. Place the bread on a sheet of grease proof paper.
3. Finely chop the garlic.
4. 
5. Sprinkle the garlic, dried herbs and salt over the bread. Drizzle the olive oil all over the loaf, and then using your hands, rub the toppings into all of the slices and around the top and sides of the loaf.
6. 
7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown and smelling delicious!
8. Lightly drizzle over some extra olive oil if looking dry, then serve.