The Unforgettable "Singapore" Garlic Bread

The unforgettable "Singapore" garlic bread???

Ok ok... I know that the title of this post sounds a little strange and confusing. If you are a Singaporean or has been living in Singapore, you will know that garlic bread is definitely not in the list of Singaporean food that Singaporeans usually eat or can't live without. According to CNN Travel, the top three Singaporean favourite food are Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow and Wonton Mee and of course, NOT garlic bread! - LOL!

This garlic bread is mentioned not because it is a popular food in Singapore. It is unforgettable because this kind of garlic bread is never the kind we eat in Melbourne, Australia. You might ask... What is so special about these Singapore-style garlic bread?

Typically, most garlic breads (including this common one that is mentioned in Taste.com) are made with crusty baguette, sliced, filled with garlic and butter and toasted until the butter melt. WikiHow describes a few recipes but they are all the crusty and crunchy kind that are never soft and fluffy to bite. Unlike most common garlic breads, the garlic breads that we bought Mugiya bakeries in Singapore bakery are the soft, fluffy and buttery kind that make my son couldn't forget.

Mummy, I miss Singapore garlic breads...

Believe me... I have been hearing this comment many many many times... So many times that I feel sorry for myself and my boy who is always thinking about these garlic breads... LOL! I like to replicate the similar kind of bread for him and found this bread recipe from the book, Magic Bread by Alex Goh.

Mummy, this is one! The garlic bread!!!

Believe me... My boy is extremely excited when I showed him the picture of garlic breads in this book.

With no hesitation, I baked these breads and also with premium Danish butter and Spanish garlic...

Boy: Mummy, I like these breads... but they are still not the Singapore garlic breads.
Man: I think these are better than the Singapore ones...
Boy, feeling a little disappointed: NO... these are still NOT my Singapore garlic breads!!!

Sorry, boy! I know what exactly my boy is after... Sadly that my boy is right that these breads are not the exact replicate of his Singapore garlic breads which are the soft unstructured kind which they will never regain their shape after pressing them. These that I have baked are the more structured ones with light outer crust and yet soft and fluffy inside. To be honest, my husband and I really like these garlic breads. Ok... they are NOT my boy's unforgettable "Singapore" garlic bread but actually very fragrant and delicious garlic breads.

The unforgettable "Singapore" garlic bread??? For my boy, my search continues...

Updated on 2 Dec 2014 - We have found a champion garlic bread at here.

These are NOT the unforgettable Singapore garlic breads but actually very fragrant garlic breads...

NOT the unforgettable Singapore garlic breads! NOT because the garlic breads were made with non-Singaporean Spanish garlic... LOL!

... or made with Danish butter... These ingredients actually made them very nice! 

Two different types of dough were made one day before as I thought that these will help to make fluffier breads.

After kneading and proving the dough for one hr, it was divided into 7 portions.

Each portion was shaped with the garlic butter.

The excess garlic butter was wrapped up and chilled until firm.

The bread doughs grew...

More garlic butter... Yeah! One extra thick slice for each bread :)

My kitchen was smelling so good when we were baking these...

The almost unforgettable "Singapore" garlic bread... Still delicious! LOL!

Here's the recipe from the book, Magic Bread by Alex Goh
(with my modifications in blue)

A
60g bread flour
45g boiling water

B
240g bread flour
6g sugar
6g salt
4g instant yeast

C
135g cold water
75g overnight sponge dough

D
15g butter

Overnight sponge dough
makes approximately 75g
50g bread flour
30g water (room temperature)
1/8 tsp instant yeast

Mix all ingredients until well-blended. Mix water and yeast until well-blended. Add in flour and mix to form dough. Let it proof for 30 min. Wrap it up and refrigerate for overnight. 

Garlic butter
10 cloves chopped garlic (reduced to 7)
some parsley
100g soft butter (reduced to 60g)

Add the boiling water from A into flour, mix until well-blended to form dough. Cover and set aside to cool. Keep it into refrigerator for at least 12 hrs.

Mix B until well-blended. Add in C, knead to form rough dough. Add in A, knead until well-blended.

Add in D knead to form elastic dough. Let it proof for 40 mins

Instead of kneading by hand or electric mixer, I've placed all ingredients in list A, B, C and D into my bread maker and use "dough setting"to knead and prove the dough for 1 hr

Divide the dough into 85g each (or into 7 equal portions) and mould it round. Let it rest for 10 mins.

Flatten the dough, spread a thin layer of garlic butter and roll it into oblong shape. Let it proof for 45 mins.

Chill the left-over garlic butter in fridge or freezer until firm.

Egg wash the surface and cut the center with sharp knife. Place some garlic butter onto it.

Bake at 220°C (or 200°C fan forced) for 18 mins or until golden brown.

Note: Using this recipe, I have baked 7 garlic breads at 200°C fan forced for 10 mins and at
180°C fan forced for another 6 mins.

Happy Baking
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