Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Last week we were taking dinner over to two different friend's houses. We made a delicious pasta dish and needed a great bread to pair it with. After a little search on Pinterest I found this great recipe inspired by Macaroni Grill. It was a no brainer, I had to try out this recipe and I'm really glad I did. It was so delicious and the aroma made our house smell divine. I took a picture with my phone when the bread came out of the oven and then wished I did a tutorial. So apologies for my iPhone pic but well...who cares really this bread is incredible!

Recipe: (adapted from ahintofhoney.com)
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp.  sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried rosemary (or 2 TBL chopped, if fresh)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let the ingredients sit for a few minutes to proof.

Add in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and flour.  Slowly add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. If you don't use the entire cup of bread flour that's okay just set aside for when you knead the bread. Knead on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in size.

Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Drap a towel over the dough again and let rise for another 30- 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, lightly brush the top with egg wash and dried rosemary.

Bake or 18-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

This recipe makes 1 loaf but you can easily double it,

Enjoy!