No-Knead Bread with a Trio Spreads

We entertain in our home fairly regularly and when I’m shopping and planning for a meal, appetizers are sometimes an afterthought. Thirty minutes before guests arrive I’m scrambling to find some before dinner noshes, most often consisting of cheese, crackers, and olives. Boring, right?

This post reflects my creative efforts at serving dinner company something a little more interesting before the main course. This no-knead bread comes together quickly and easily and I’ve paired it with three different spreads.

The first spread, roasted garlic with olive oil, pairs beautifully with warm bread. Roasting garlic could not be easier. Simply, slice the top off of a garlic bulb so that all cloves are visible. Place the bulb in a small baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. To remove the roasted cloves, pull each clove from the bulb. Pinch the bottom of the clove and it should pop out of the skin. Place the cloves in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Spread number two consists of only two ingredients: butter and lemon zest. Use a high quality butter, such as Plugra or Kerrygold, for this spread. Quality butter makes a huge difference for a simple spread such as this one.

I make the third spread, my twist on hummus, by pureeing blanched fava beans and avocado. This hummus, made super creamy by the avocado, is a delicious topping for warm home-baked bread. See my post for fava bean salad for more information on preparing the beans. If you don’t have access to fava beans, edamame or lima beans make great substitutes.

I think you’ll agree that this appetizer is a bit more interesting than cheese and crackers. If you’re looking for something different and delicious to serve your guests, try this trio of spreads with warm home-made bread.

No Knead Bread with a Trio of Spreads

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

No Knead Bread with a Trio of Spreads

Ingredients

For the bread:

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 packages yeast

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons olive oil, for bowl

For the fava bean and avocado hummus:

2 cups blanched fava beans

1 medium avocado, peeled and seed removed

1 scallion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove roasted garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

For lemon butter:

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon zest, packed

For the roasted garlic:

1 bulb roasted garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the bread:

1. Heat water, milk, and butter to appromately 110 degrees, allowing butter to melt completely. Add sugar, salt, and yeast and whisk to combine. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes until a layer of foam appears on top of liquid.

2. Combine flours in a medium large bowl. Add liquid to flour and fold until well combined. Oil another bowl with olive oil. Transfer dough to oiled bowl. Cover bowl with dish towel and let dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

3. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Punch dough down and transfer to loaf pan. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake bread for 40 to 45 minutes until browned.

For the fava bean and avocado hummus:

1. Combine fava beans, avocado, scallion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are combined.

2. While processing, slowly add olive oil and process until smooth.

3. Transfer to bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

For the lemon butter:

1. With a fork combine butter and lemon zest.

2. Roll into small balls and refrigerate until set.

For the roasted garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut the top off of a bulb of garlic so that the top of all cloves are showing.

3. Place bulb in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

4. Roast for 30 minutes or until cloves are soft and browning.

5. Remove each clove from the bulb and pinch the bottom to remove clove from skin.

6. Place cloves in a small bowl and top with olive oil.

https://southernboydishes.com/2013/06/18/no-knead-bread-with-a-trio-of-spreads/

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Bill Harris

I grew up in small town Mississippi eating traditional southern fare.A lifelong foodie, I started cooking and experimenting with food at a very young age. I started Southern Boy Dishes as a creative outlet and a way to share my love of food.