Dough Balls with Garlic Butter by Good Food

Ingredients

• 300g strong white bread flour
• 175ml water
• 150g unsalted butter, divided
• 7g sachet dried yeast
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• lightly oil, for bowl and baking sheet
• optional crudités and cured meat, to serve

Instructions

1. Warm 175ml of water in a small saucepan over low heat until it is steaming but not boiling, reaching a temperature of about 40-45°C (105-115°F). Add 50g of butter to the warm water, stirring until melted, then set aside to cool until it is comfortably warm to the touch but not hot.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the strong white bread flour, dried yeast, caster sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cooled butter-water mixture.
3. Mix well with a wooden spoon or on low speed in a stand mixer until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, or for 5 minutes in a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when gently poked.
4. Lightly oil a clean large bowl with a neutral oil, then place the kneaded dough inside, turning it once to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with oiled cling film or a damp tea towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for 1½-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled significantly in size.
5. While the dough is rising for the second time, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4).
6. Once the dough has doubled, gently punch out the air to deflate it. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it again for several minutes to redistribute the yeast and gluten.
7. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Take small pieces of dough, about the size of a walnut (approximately 15-20g each), and roll them into smooth, round balls. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 0.5 cm (¼ inch) apart, as they will expand and touch during baking.
8. Cover the baking sheet loosely with oiled cling film or a clean tea towel and let the dough balls rise again in a warm place for another 30 minutes, or until noticeably puffed up and nearly touching each other.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter by melting the remaining 100g of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the crushed garlic clove to the melted butter and stir to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
10. Bake the dough balls in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and cooked through. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11. Once baked, immediately brush the warm dough balls generously with some of the prepared garlic butter. Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.
12. Serve the warm dough balls with the remaining garlic butter for dipping. Optionally, serve alongside a selection of fresh crudités and cured meats for a complete starter platter.