Rosemary Garlic Bread

As we have established several, several times, I love to bake.

I usually stick to sweets, but over the last year, I have been trying my hand at making more pastries that are more on the savory side.

Since having an over-abundance of herbs, including rosemary, I decided to make some yummy bread with it.

Do not fear if you have never made homemade bread before, this recipe is easy peasy!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons or 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, fresh or dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (if desired)

Instructions

1. Combine yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.
2. In the same bowl, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1-1/2 tablespoons rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, the remaining 3/4 cup of warm water, and all of the flour.. Mix with a spoon until the dough starts to form.
3. Work dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes.
4. Rub olive oil in the inside of the mixing bowl, put the dough in, and cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
5. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into halves. Knead each half for about a minute or so, sprinkling with flour as needed, working each half into a ball.
6. Place each half on prepared baking sheet. Let sit uncovered for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
7. Preheat oven to 400ºF. If using garlic, press onto each loaf’s top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and rosemary.
8. Return to oven and bake for an addition 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Let cool slightly on baking sheet and serve warm.

Rosemary Garlic Bread

In any good bread recipe, you have to start out with some yeast. Active dry seems to work best here. In a large mixing bowl, add a package of yeast, some sugar, and a little bit of warm water.

Let sit for 5 minutes. It should get foamy and if it doesn’t, toss it out, get some new yeast, and start over.

As stated previously, I have a ton of fresh rosemary. You can use minced fresh rosemary, but dried works perfectly fine too! Add in the rosemary, some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Pour in some more warm water. Then throw in some flour. You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour, your preference! Bread flour just contains more gluten than regular AP. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, stir to combine ingredients until dough starts to form. Don’t worry about mixing it all of the way up, you are about to get a killer arm workout.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes and shape into a ball.

Rub some olive oil inside the mixing bowl, place dough in the bowl. Cover with a tea towel in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should have doubled in size.

Throw dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Divide dough into halves and knead for a minute or so, then shape each half into a ball. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. And place each half onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit uncovered for an additional hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once doubled, preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place bread in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and drizzle the tops with olive oil.

Sprinkle tops with salt and pepper. Add some more rosemary and minced garlic (optional).

Return to oven and bake an additional 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for a few minutes to cool.

If you could smell this picture right now, you would be in heaven!

Slice while still warm and E N J O Y!