Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread

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Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread
I found this easy recipe at Chew Out Loud while looking for the perfect bread to go with my Hearty Tuscan White Bean Stew, and I’ve got to say, it is just about perfect. I did end up adding about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder along with the other herbs, as my garlic bulb was a bit on the small side. I suspect that the amount of flour in this recipe was measured by volume and not by weight, as my dough was a bit on the dry side, but it was nothing that a little extra drizzle olive oil and a quick spritz of water couldn’t overcome.

Ingredients:

  • 1½ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water, 110-115F
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2½ cups bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, plus extra for sprinkling
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 head of roasted garlic
  • extra olive oil for brushing on top and serving
  • coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top
  • balsamic vinegar for serving
  • clean water in spray bottle

Method:

  1. In large bowl, Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water. Mix in the sugar and salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it foams. Add in olive oil. Add flour and knead (by hand or stand mixer) for about 10 minutes. Add rosemary, black pepper, and oregano. Knead another 5 minutes. Finally, gently knead in roasted garlic by hand, about 1 minute. Dough should come together well at this point; slightly sticky is fine. Place dough ball in well oiled bowl, turning dough a few times so that dough surfaces are protected by oil. Tightly cover bowl with cling wrap. Place in warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is doubled, approx. 1 hour, depending on room temp (if your room is cooler, it could take 2 hours.)
  2. After dough is doubled, punch it down and shape into a rounded loaf. Using sharp knife, cut a cross on the top of the loaf. Place rounded loaf on greased baking sheet. Cover up loaf with large mixing bowl inverted over it. Make sure bowl is large enough that it gives your loaf room to rise. Let rise until doubled again, approximately 1 hour.
  3. After dough has doubled again, gently brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and a bit more rosemary. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, spraying loaf with water once during the middle of baking. Bump oven up to 425F and spray loaf with water again. Watch carefully – bake just until the top is a nice golden brown, taking care not to over bake.
  4. Serve bread fresh and warm, with your favorite blend of good olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and balsamic vinegar!