Here's what I love about bread, it's soft and chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, makes you feel good just by smelling it. It tastes good with butter on it, it tastes good with meat on it, it tastes good with cheese on it. Yup, you can put anything on it and it's still amazing. Bread is WONDERFUL (just ask my waistline)! If my life were a musical movie, I'd be breaking into song right now about my love for bread (it may have secretly already happened); instead I'll just post how to make this aromatic bread, then you can break out in song at your house.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down the dough, then let it rise 30 minutes longer.
4. Punch the dough down again and divide into 2 pieces, approximately 1 pound (455 g ) each. Shape the pieces into tight oval loaves that spring back when lightly pressed but are not so taut that the skin on the dough breaks. Place the loaves on sheet pans lined with parchment paper (see instructions on how to shape dough at end of post).
5. Brush egg wash over the loaves. Let rise until slightly less than doubled in volume.
6. Using a serrated knife and starting in the center, cut halfway into each loaf at a 45-egress angle.
7. Bake at 400 F until the loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Place the loaves on racks to cool.
If this is well wrapped it can be stored in the freezer for several weeks. If you only need one loaf of bread you can use the other half of the dough as a pizza crust, YUM!
So I learned quite a few things making this bread. First, I need a larger mixer; second, I need double ovens (I'm talking to you, Mr. Woodward); third, sometimes it's better to make a smaller batch.
I decided to make a regular sized batch (6 loaves), but I'll be giving you the recipe for the smaller batch (2 loaves). The reason for this is because most standard mixers can't handle the amount of dough in the larger recipe. I know from personal experience. It wasn't pretty. I ended up having to divide the dough in half, kneading half by hand and the other in the mixer with the dough hook. If you happen to have a larger mixer, let me know and I'll send you the larger recipe. Ok, let's get to baking.
Somethings that I can't live without in the world of baking are:
My scale. LOVE IT!
My scraper. It is great for a couple of reasons; one, it has a sharp edge to cut my dough with; second, it is great for lifting dough off the counter as well as scraping various things into other things. Don't you just love my very eloquent review. It really is a great tool to have in the kitchen, whether it be for baking or cooking.
Special Equipment:
mixer with dough hook
food scale
scraper
pastry brush
parchment paper
serrated bread knife
Ingredients
11 g (3/4 oz) dry yeast (or 22 g fresh compressed yeast)
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) warm water (105 F to 115 F)
22 g (1 1/2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
10 g ( 2 Tbsp) fresh rosemary, finely chopped (I used 5 g (1 Tbsp) dried crushed rosemary)
15 g (1 Tbsp) salt
1 lb 4 oz (570 g) bread flour
Egg wash (4 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt)
Directions
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the sugar, oil, rosemary, and enough of the flour to make a smooth, non-sticky dough.
2. Knead, using the dough hook, at medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough will get a little looser as it becomes smoother.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down the dough, then let it rise 30 minutes longer.
4. Punch the dough down again and divide into 2 pieces, approximately 1 pound (455 g ) each. Shape the pieces into tight oval loaves that spring back when lightly pressed but are not so taut that the skin on the dough breaks. Place the loaves on sheet pans lined with parchment paper (see instructions on how to shape dough at end of post).
5. Brush egg wash over the loaves. Let rise until slightly less than doubled in volume.
6. Using a serrated knife and starting in the center, cut halfway into each loaf at a 45-egress angle.
7. Bake at 400 F until the loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Place the loaves on racks to cool.
Special thanks to my girls, F & E for all their help punching the dough. For once they weren't hitting each other. Love my little flour girls!
Special Instructions on how to shape dough:
To make round or oval loaves of bread, put the required weight of dough on the table in front of you and cup our hand around it. Using primarily the section of your palm at he base of the thumb, knead and move the dough around counterclockwise as you lift one section at a time from the outside and press it down in the center, forming a tight skin around the dough. When you have worked all the way around the circle a few times and the dough is tight, gradually turn it upside-down, using the same movements, so that the seam is now on the bottom. Hold the side of your hand against the table and form the loaf into a round or oval as desired.
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