Baked Whole Garlic

4 whole heads of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil (approx.)
pepper
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 275. Slice the top (1/4 inch) from the heads of garlic and rub to remove some of the papery skin from the outside, taking care not to separate the cloves. Put the heads in a baking dish that will just hold them. Pour the olive oil over each, add the pepper and thyme. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to bake for about 1-1 1/2 hours longer. The garlic mellows and turns creamy as it bakes, and should be very tender. To eat, squeeze one clove at a time out of the skins.

From The Fannie Farmer cookbook, via Vickie at WWA.com