The Fresh Loaf

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Artichoke Garlic Bread - Looking for a clone of Pescadero's Arcangeli Market's signature bread

undermind's picture
undermind

Artichoke Garlic Bread - Looking for a clone of Pescadero's Arcangeli Market's signature bread

South of Half Moon Bay on the California coast there's a market in Pescadero called Arcangeli's (Norm's) which is famous for it's artichoke bread.  It's pretty much amazing..

Now that I've been making all our bread from scratch, I'd love to try to make something similar to it..  I was wondering if anyone out there has given it a try..  It's a round moist garlic loaf which is studded with artichokes..  I'd even love to hear about a good garlic bread recipe..   I would say that this loaf is more moist than typical garlic bread I think of, probably because most are just french bread with garlic spread..   But it had a bit of an olive oil taste..  And the bag would actually have oily spots when you'd grab a hot loaf off their shelf.

Anyways, if anybody has a clone recipe or suggestions for a moist garlic bread I could do in a clay baker (LaCloche) that would be great!

Here's a link to the loaf..

http://www.normsmarket.com/store/artichoke-garlic-herb-p-846.html

undermind's picture
undermind

Awesome!  I PM'd you

ragreen's picture
ragreen

...except gawd I love Arcangelli's breads. I came here looking to see if I could find some info about any artichoke/garlic bread and what do I find! I'll let you know how it works out.

undermind's picture
undermind

Sounds good ragreen..

I'm anxious to hear if you come up with anything.  The Arcangeli's website does say what's in it, but it's hard to know how it comes together.

BTW, I've made your recipe a few times now PBMee..  It's very good.  I've made it a few different ways; the way described above, and also a modified version which was made in a La Cloche.  It's just different from the one at Arcangeli's.  Hard to describe exacty how..  :)

 

ragreen's picture
ragreen

OK, in theory, tomorrow is the day. I started my sourdough sponge up a while ago, cooked off some medium sized chokes and roasted two heads of garlic. I'll mix some herbs up in a bit. Tomorrow, early, I'll go for it... let ya know how it works out. This is a very simple sourdough recipe (but makes a really nice loaf), so if it blows up I won't have a lot of time and material wasted.

ragreen's picture
ragreen

Took a little longer to get back than planned... anyway, the results were definitely hopeful. The sourdough loaf itself came out good... looked good, good texture. I need to include more herbs, a little lighter on the artichoke hearts (I used 4 small/medium ones, I think actually one large one cut into chunks would be just about right). I also need to work on a more even distribution of the veggies in the uncooked loaf. I'm thinking too, that instead of putting individual roasted garlic cloves in (I used one whole head), next time I'll take half of that and puree it, and mix it in with the first kneading, then add the remaining cloves at the second knead, when I put the artichoke in. I won't post the recipe here until it's out of the experimental phase, just to save people the grief.

southern grits girl's picture
southern grits girl

Since I'm too lazy to go to the store and get some artichokes, I'm going to try this with spinach. Kraft Foods has come out with a cheese medley that has cream cheese and its already shredded, so I'm going to use that as a sub. I'll let you know how it turns out.

undermind's picture
undermind

Hey Chiapetite, Original poster here..

I wouldn't say I have a lot to add to the discussion, but this has still got to be one of the best breads on earth, and one I still enjoy trying to copy.

I think you're right about the commercial angle. I think that the techniques used in making this bread are probably pretty foreign to home bakers. The ingredients speak to that. I do think we could come up with a good clone, but I think the technique and ingredients would look different. 

I usually don't enrich breads I make, or use oils, but it is a difference maker at times. King Arthur makes a dough conditioner. I've been reading about it and trying to track it down. I've heard it does amazing things for breads and pizza doughs. 

Thank you for reviving this. I'm going to give another shot at cloning it this winter. 

For those of you who haven't had the bread, you can order it from their website parbaked and finish it off in your own oven - wherever you may live. I've done it. You probably should too...

cranbo's picture
cranbo

 

Got to experience this bread back in June of this year for the first time in Pescadero.

Here are the ingredients right from the Arcangeli bag of "Artichoke Garlic Herb" bread:

Wheat flour, water, artichokes, gluten, salt, sugar, garlic, italian spices, soy oil, olive oil, malt, pepper, vinegar, yeast, corn meal, dough conditioner, yeast, lactic acted, wheat gluten, butter.

Interesting, because on the web site it's a little different: Enriched wheat flour, barley flour, artichokes, garlic, vital wheat gluten, malt, sugar, parmesan cheese, vinegar, olive oil, veg shortening, veg. oil, soy oil, italian spices, salt, yeast, corn meal, dough conditioner

Biggest differences I see are the cheese, shortening, pepper and butter

I'd describe the loaf as somewhat flat (flatter than it is tall), with an extremely (shreddably) soft interior, almost like a hokkaido or similar tangzhong bread, with a slight bit more body (from the gluten). Crumb is buttery/oily, and so is the crust, which has just a bit of thin crispiness, with the leathery tug of a high-protein dough with oil. Has a bit of a tang. Could be a pre-ferment. Crust in fact has a oiliness to it that will get on your hands (seep into the paper bag that it comes in). Italian spices are studded inside and outside of the loaf. Baked to a deep golden color, with one slash across the top, which often exposes pieces of the artichoke heart (maybe they are added to the top of the loaf for decoration?) I don't remember finding a lot of artichoke throughout, more concentrated in a single area. 

Reminds me a bit of warm supermarket "french bread" in US with italian spices, garlic and artichoke hearts.

It was definitely tasty but it didn't blow my mind.  

 

mmelaprof's picture
mmelaprof

I never know whether 242 grams of liquid makes liquid ounces.  The conversion charts do not specify, so I ASSUME it's liquid to liquid (seems obvious, but one never knows).

Also  400 grams of flour I ASSUME is weighed, not measured into a cup.  

Does this sound right?  

 

cranbo's picture
cranbo

242g is 8.53 ounces by weight. It's not exactly a 1-to-1 relationship between weight of 1 fl oz of water with 1 oz of mass, but it's close. Of course this only holds true for water. I believe 242g of water makes up approximately 242 mL of water. 

Yes 400g weighed. 

mmelaprof's picture
mmelaprof

Merci.

mmelaprof's picture
mmelaprof

What kind, and in what amounts?

Also, is the bread simply rolled in cornmeal, or is there some in it?  If so, how much?

cranbo's picture
cranbo

Pretty sure cornmeal was just on the outside of the loaf. 

Same with the italian spices, outside of loaf only. I don't remember seeing any in the crumb.

I'd go with a commercial italian spice mixture, or make your own: blend oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage in equal quantities. Start with 1/2 tsp of each, and adjust til you have a flavor profile you like: more oregano & basil, less sage and rosemary. 

Coco Jones's picture
Coco Jones

Hi all, the link isn't working anymore. Was it the recipe, and if so, did anybody happen to capture it? Thanks!

Tom M's picture
Tom M

When you find an expired link, you can try pulling up an archived capture at the Wayback Machine.

Pasting in the link shows a history of captures, including this one before the page went away after 2013.  Spoiler: it's not a recipe.

--Tom M

 

Coco Jones's picture
Coco Jones

Good trick! Thanks!

KiltedBaker's picture
KiltedBaker

I've enjoyed the pescadero artichoke bread a few times over the years and here's my clone.  I've also used smoked roasted garlic in olive oil rather than artichoke.   Just be sure to drain the cloves, when I used oil my bread turned out more moist , kinda like a banana bread moist and dense rather than a French style. 

I've found the Pescadero bread doesn't have a big sourdough bite,  rather a rustic white bread feel and taste (for me) albeit kinda damp inside.  Oh.. and mine is a no knead bread, ok moderate knead bread. 

It's a hybrid farmhouse-sourdough with the herbs and artichoke sans oil.   I've made with and without,  for me better luck without oil.   Here's my method.  Some may balk at the notion. I've had great success with my bread. Good crisp crust with a chewy soft crumb. Plus,  with the long ferment time you do get a little sourdough bite and the addition of the yeast at the end gives a more uniform textured crumb. Here's what I do: 

250 grams Sourdough starter (100% hydration) 

400 grams high gluten flour

Extra flour for folding 

250 ml water or measure by gram weight

Salt

1 gram Active yeast 

Spice blend

12 oz can artichoke hearts,  drained and chopped 

Grated parm cheese

Add the starter,  water, salt and flour together mix until incorporated.   This will be sticky.   Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 hours or more.  Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work Surface and fold in the flour from the work surface until dough loses the tacky exterior... return to bowl, cover and rest another 12 hours.   The dough will again be sticky.   Turn out onto a heavily floured work surface.   Flatten the dough. Sprinkle with active yeast and fold. Flatten, Sprinkle with spice blend, cheese and artichoke hearts,  fold until flour is incorporated and skin is not tacky.  At this point the dough should nicely hold a form.  Place the dough seam side up into a bread form for final proof  30min - 2 hours.  Once bread is noticeably rising I'll move to cast iron,  for about a 30 minutes or longer for final rise while oven reaches temp.   Preheat oven 500.  I do not preheat my cast iron, yet keep it near stove. I use a Lodge combo cooker shallow side down or cast iron loaf pan.   I will dust cornmeal onto the bread bottom in form before turning onto lodge combo cooker or spray the inside of loaf pan with pan release and dust with flour. Right before putting into the oven I'll score the top of the loaf.  Into oven for 20 minutes at 500, then remove the top lid, use caution there maybe steam,  reduce heat to 450 and cook to internal temp of 200.  Approximately 30-40 minutes. Completely cool before cutting.  If using loaf pan i add a steam pan into the oven.   Initial placement is the same 500 for 20 minutes.   I then remove the loaf from pan and place directly on rack lower temp 400 to internal  200 temp. Approximately 20-30 minutes. 

Remember to leave the cast iron in oven to cool. 

It's my version of the iconic Pescadero bread.  Enjoy!