French Bread With Roasted Garlic and Mozzarella

Easy, delicious, and the perfect complement to just about any meal!

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

Gather your ingredients:

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages fast rising yeast (or 2 scant tablespoons)
2 cups hot water
1 egg
1 head of garlic
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Step 2: Roast the Garlic

I tend to do this in the toaster oven.  Peel as much of the paper off the garlic as possible while leaving the head intact.  Place in the middle of a piece of aluminum foil.  Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and seal the foil.  Put in the toaster oven for about 45 minutes (this will give you just enough time to finish the rest of the bread). 

Step 3: Mix the Bread Dough

First, preheat the oven to 425.

Then mix together 4 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

Step 4: Add the Hot Water to Make the Dough

Add the hot water and mix into a dough ball.  I find a wooden spoon works well for the initial mixing, then I knead the dough by hand for a few minutes until it's smooth.  Cover with a damp paper towel and let rise for about 20 minutes.

Step 5: Roll Out the Baguettes

Use the remaining flour to dust your work surface.  Separate the dough into two halves, and roll out into rectangles.

Step 6: Roll Up the Dough

Roll each baguette lengthwise and set seam side down on a baguette pan or baking sheet.  Cover, and let rise for another 15-20 minutes.

Step 7: Brush With Egg Wash

Once the dough has finished rising, make 4 shallow slices on top of each loaf.  Brush each loaf with beaten egg.

Step 8: Add Garlic and Cheese

By this time, the garlic should have finished roasting.  Squeeze the garlic into a small bowl and add just a bit of olive oil.  Mix together together to form a thick paste.  Spread the paste on top of the egg washed baguettes.  Then sprinkle the mozzarella on top.  You may want to press the cheese into the dough just a bit to make sure it sticks.

Step 9: Bake

Bake the bread at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the bread is golden and has a hollow sound when you tap it.  Let the bread cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy fresh out of the oven :)