Looking Sharp Cheesy Bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees°F. Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, salt, and flour, then combine the ingredients with a rubber spatula for about 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft and when you poke it with your finger, it should slowly bounce back. If not, keep kneading. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil; using the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until it is doubled in size.

Cut the tops off of each head of garlic, then drizzle olive oil into each head to lightly coat the cloves. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper to taste. Make 6 spiral shapes of honey spaced-out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, add a garlic head cut side down over each honey spiral. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until the garlic cloves are very soft and can easily be squeezed out from the skins. If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to warm.

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and shape it into an even circle on the pizza stone or lightly greased baking sheet. With your fingertips, create a trench around the outer edge of the dough. Then, create two trenches vertically and two trenches horizontally to create a cross-hatch pattern. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Once the garlic has baked and cooled enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves into the bowl of your food processor or blender, removing any skin. Puree until very smooth, adding water or olive oil as needed to get a smooth consistency. Heat the marinara sauce over medium-low heat, and once it starts to bubble and simmer turn the heat to low and keep it warm until needed.

Once the dough has started to set and slightly darken, remove it from the oven and brush the garlic puree on top. Add the cheddar strips in the trenches in the middle of the dough. Next sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly across the top. Return the dough to the oven and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and become slightly golden and the dough is fully cooked. Remove the cheesy garlic bread from the oven and slowly pour the marinara sauce into the trenches. Garnish with chopped parsley and or basil. Enjoy!