Roasted Garlic and Stout Bread

To make the starter:

1. In a medium bowl stir together the beer, the 1/2 cup bread flour, the yeast, and the 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature (70° F to 80° F) 12 to 24 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times.

To roast garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel away the dry outer layers of skin from the bulb of garlic, leaving skins and cloves intact. Cut off the pointed top portion (about 1/4 inch), leaving bulb intact but exposing the individual cloves. Place the garlic bulb, cut side up, in a custard cup. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover cup with foil and roast 25 minutes or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Set aside just until cool enough to handle. Squeeze out the garlic paste from individual cloves and place in a small bowl. Mash with a fork. Measure 1 tablespoon roasted garlic (chill the remaining for another use.) Cover and chill until ready to use.

To finish the bread:

1. Add the starter mixture, 1 tablespoon roasted garlic and the next 5 ingredients (through salt) to a 1 1/2- or 2-pound bread machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select the dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

2. On a lightly floured surface shape the dough into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Flatten slightly into a 7-inch round loaf. Using a sharp knife, make several cuts 1/4 inch deep across the top of loaf.

3. Cover and let rise in a warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until nearly double. Bake in a 400°F oven 20 to 25 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack.

Tips

To get the ring pattern and beehive shape of the bread in the picture, use a coiled wooden dough-rising basket, available in bakers' catalogs.