Years ago, I hosted a cooking club in my kitchen, the ladies and I would make a weeks worth of homemade meals for each person to take home and freeze. Each month I changed up the theme, one month in particular, I hosted a guest chef who taught the group how to make a simple rustic loaf of bread. I couldn’t believe how easy the recipe was, no kneading necessary. What you do knead however, is a little time, and a good dutch oven; like this Lodge 5-Quart Double Dutch Oven. The dutch oven is necessary component in achieving the right crunchiness of the outer golden brown crust. The dutch oven equally assists in creating a moist and flavorful center, a great compliment to the crunchy exterior. Using this recipe as a base, you can also add your favorite ingredients and mix it up a bit, I have a few suggestions in my notes below, but you can be as creative and adventurous with your flavors as you want!
Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers, and this week I am putting together a post using this delicious Rosemary Rustic Loaf as the base. Can’t wait for you to try this irresistible combination of flavors.
rosemary rustic loaf
Prep time: 10 minutes / Rise time: 9-14 hours / Bake time: 45 minutes / Serves: 8
Ingredients
3 cup bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, dried
1 1 gallon plastic bag
dutch oven
Instructions
- Place all dry ingredients, including rosemary in the gallon plastic bag, seal bag and mix in hands.
- Add extra virgin olive oil, beer, and garlic. Seal plastic bag, making sure to let out all air.
- Using your hands, smash the ingredients in the plastic bag together until the dough pulls away from the bag.
- While in the plastic bag, allow bread to rise a first time in a warm area for 12 hours. You may also place the plastic bag in the oven on the bread proof setting. This will reduce your rising time to 7 hours or until the dough has doubled and you see many air pockets in the dough. (The dough will appear damp and sticky, this is normal.)
- Place dough on a clean surface, dusted with flour, and fold four-ways upon itself, place fold side down onto wax paper also dusted with flour and cover with a breathable cloth for another 2 hours, allowing dough to double in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Place dutch oven into the oven, allowing it to warm.
- Place risen dough inside the dutch oven and cover, baking for 35 minutes.
- Carefully uncover dutch oven and bake for another 15 more minutes or until a dark golden brown crust is achieved.
- Cool bread on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Note
You may also want to try other ingredients in this recipe. Here are a few that I use in place of the rosemary:
Garlic Parmesan: add 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese along with the suggested 2 teaspoons garlic.
Roasted Garlic: add 8-10 cloves roasted garlic, cut into slices, in lieu of the 2 teaspoons garlic.
Olive: add 1 cup mixed kalamata and green olives, pitted and sliced along and 1 teaspoon garlic instead of two.
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