Rosemary Sea Salt Bread Food

ALMOST-FAMOUS ROSEMARY BREAD

Steps:

• 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.

ROSEMARY SEA SALT BREAD

Steps:

• Place yeast, sugar and water in a medium bowl. Let it stand 10 minutes or so, until it is bubbly.
• Add one cup of flour and mix well.
• Add remaining flour, salt, rosemary and 1 tbl olive oil, and mix to make a smooth dough.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Form into a ball.
• Pour 1 tsp olive oil into a medium bowl. Dip the top of the dough into the oil, turn so that it is on the top, and place the dough into the bowl. Coat entire dough ball with oil. (Or, grease the bowl, turn dough to grease the ball).
• Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about an hour.
• I put all the ingredients in the bread machine and used the dough cycle. This is a small amount of flour, and you should check it ten minutes or so into the cycle - I used my spatula to push the flour towards the paddle, and this permitted it to turn into a ball of dough. I let the dough rise in the machine without an additional oil.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly oiled surface, deflate gently, and let the dough stand another five to ten minutes.
• LIghtly grease a baking pan or heat baking stove in 450 deg oven.
• Divide the dough in half, forming into two rounded loaves.
• Brush remaining oil on the loaves (one or two teaspoons should be enough) and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt, to taste. I suggest you sprinkle lightly. Do not use table salt, but flake salt would be good, also.
• Allow the loaves to rise, lightly covered, for about 30 minutes.
• Place in pan or onto the baking stone and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.