Rosemary Bread from Macaroni Grill

Today’s my birthday so I’m keeping this post short. If you haven’t made any bread from scratch then this is a pretty easy one to try for your first one. We don’t have any Macaroni Grill’s around us anymore, but this is supposed to be a copy cat recipe from one they serve in their restaurant. The only thing I would change next time is to maybe cut back the rosemary by 1/2 tablespoon. My rosemary was pretty strong since I just opened a new container so maybe that was it, but if your rosemary is older then you should be fine using the full amount.

Almost Famous Rosemary Bread from Macaroni Grill
(Adapted from Copy That! Article in Food Network Magazine April 2011)

Printer Friendly Version

1 (¼ ounce) packet active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving
2 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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 pepper.