Garlic Pockets

                                                                

                                                                 

  When Jess and I were on the Island of Saint Thomas we found this wonderful little cafe that made the best salads and with the salads they served a focaccia that was a small pocket bread with roasted garlic inside. It was amazingly good and they would serve olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip them in. Try it. You'll love it too!
  This recipe will make about 30 pockets.

Before starting the dough you will need to roast the garlic. If you have never roasted garlic before you are in for a treat. Roasted garlic has a nutty flavor and it is actually spreadable!

  Here's how you do it: soak 4 garlic bulbs in olive oil for about an hour. Remove from oil and wrap them in foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Let them cool to the touch, then remove each clove from the skin and place in a bowl while you make the dough. Be careful not to squish them!

I put all the large cloves in a bowl. If all your cloves are on the small size you can put two in each pocket.

I took the very small cloves and mashed them in the 1/4 cup of olive oil that will be added to the dough.

Dough:

  I like to make all my breads using the sponge method. This method gives the yeast a little extra time to grow so your bread turns out perfect each time.

Sponge Stage:

  2 cups lukewarm water (105 degrees)

  1 1/2 Tablespoons  dry yeast (2 packets)

  3 cups flour

 Mix water and yeast, let sit for 5 minutes, and then stir in flour, one cup at a time. Stir 100 strokes, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Then add : 1/4 cup olive oil
                 2 teaspoons salt
                 3 cups flour
 Fold in the olive oil and salt. Then add the flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth, using as much flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking. As you can see, smooth, is a relative term!!!

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

 Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each out to about a half inch thickness and as close to a rectangle as you can.

 With the dull side of a knife, mark a grid on the dough, of 2 inch squares. Place a roasted garlic on each square then lay the second piece of rolled out dough on top.

Press down lightly to encase all the garlic. 

Now cut the squares apart.

 To stop bread from sticking I sprinkle corn meal on the baking sheet.












Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt or kosher salt.    

                                                                                 

And wet a fork and press around the sides of each square to seal.




   Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Enjoy!!!