Restaurant Rosemary Bread

“Where do you want to go for dinner?” Sometimes I base my response to that question entirely off how good or bad a restaurant’s bread and dessert items are. Is that bad?

Don’t answer, because I don’t care. I love my carbs and desserts. They make life wonderful. Glorious. Magnificent. The excitement that fills me when I sit down at a restaurant and a basket of warm bread is placed in front of me is the same excitement that filled me on Christmas Eve as a child. So, when I saw this recipe for restaurant rosemary bread in the latest issue of Food Network magazine, you can imagine the squirming, uncontrollable excitement that filled me. I literally ripped the recipe out, stood up, and began taking the necessary ingredients out of my pantry. I made this bread right there and then. Of course, it took a few hours waiting for rising and baking. But I had no regrets after tearing off a warm hunk of the bread, dipping it in herbed olive oil, and taking my first bite. Rustic, fruity, earthy, and just wonderful. The best kind of comfort food.

P.S. – You might also enjoy this post for Dark & Soft Restaurant Dinner Rolls.

How to make

Restaurant Rosemary Bread

Yield: 4 small loaves

The excitement that fills me when I sit down at a restaurant and a basket of warm bread is placed in front of me is the same excitement that filled me on Christmas Eve as a child. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 ounce packet active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• assortment of fresh or dried herbs, pepper for oil dip

Directions

1. Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)
3. Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
4. Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with fresh or dried herbs, salt, and pepper.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Food Network Magazine, April 2011

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe by Tessa Arias