Wild garlic bread sticks

Spring

If you have children, you might like to have a go at this recipe. It’s my take on garlic bread, but it begins in the woods with a basket. Wild garlic grows in the spring and is easy to identify. In fact, you’ll probably smell it before you see it. Give the kids their own little knife so they can cut a bunch of leaves. Then, get them to help you get the fire going and make the dough. This is more than cooking – this is an experience your children will remember and want to do again and again.

Makes 8

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons quick yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
a knob of butter, softened
a handful of wild garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
flaky sea salt, to serve
You will also need
8 freshly cut sticks about 40–50cm (16–20in) long

Method

Place the flour, yeast, salt, and soft butter in a large bowl. Add 300ml (10½ fl oz) of water and stir it in until the flour starts to bind together to form a dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and knead it for 5 minutes, until it begins to feel soft and stretchy. Shape the dough into a rough round, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover it to stop it drying out. Leave the dough somewhere warm (but not too hot) for an hour or two, until it’s doubled in size.

Turn out the dough onto the floured board and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece back and forth to make long, thin lengths about 30–35cm (12–14in) long.

Now you can start twirling the dough onto the sticks. Pinch one end of a length of dough against a stick so it holds. Take 4–5 wild garlic leaves and lay them over the stick. As you hold them in place, begin turning the dough round the stick, winding up and around the garlic leaves as you go. Pinch the end of the dough to secure it in place. Set the finished stick down on the floured board to rise while you set about twirling the others.

Cook the garlic breads in the order you made them so that they all get a chance to rise. Simply hold them over the hot embers, turning the stick every 30–40 seconds so the bread cooks nice and evenly. Don’t worry if the garlic leaves begin to crisp and smoke – that all adds to the flavour. And don’t worry too much if the bread catches in places. Little blisters of colour are what this bread is all about. Each stick should take about 10–12 minutes to cook, but if your fire is really hot, it might be ready sooner. Simply tear a chunk off and see if it’s cooked through – if it’s still a bit doughy, carry on cooking the sticks a while longer. Serve with a trickle of good extra-virgin olive oil and some flaky sea salt.

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