Sourdough Rosemary Bread

Donna M.'s Note:

This Italian bread is baked especially for Easter. Fresh rosemary can be lightly browned in olive oil to flavor the oil (then discard the rosemary) instead of using the dry rosemary. Recipe is from the book, "World Sourdoughs From Antiquity" by Ed Wood.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 3 hrs
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 loaf

• 2 cups proofed sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ground
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups white bread flour
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Measure the starter into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the milk, olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary, raisins, and 2 beaten eggs and mix well.
3. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is too stiff to mix by hand.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour until dough is satiny.
5. Form an oval or round loaf.
6. Place on a baking sheet and proof, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until about doubled in bulk.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Make crisscross slash in top of loaf.
9. Brush with the remaining beaten egg.
10. Bake for 45 minutes.
11. Remove loaf from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
12. NOTE: This recipe can be made in your bread machine on the dough cycle; add ingredients to machine in order given, with the exception of the final beaten egg.
13. Shape and bake as above.

Reviews

[Buster's friend]

Marvelous bread! Used a potato sourdough that was especially sharp & sour & an additional 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast. Did initial mixing with Electrolux stand mixer using 1/2 bread flour & 1/2 King Arthur's white whole wheat flour. Added an additional 1 1/4 cups white w/w flour to make it workable. Used 4 T fresh rosemary leaves, bruised & tossed into dough whole & closer to a cup of golden raisins. Made 2 beautiful well risen loaves - blistered crusts & excellent chewy open crumb. This is a keeper recipe. Thank you Donna for posting this great recipe!

[Palmetto Cook]

I have made this recipe twice now, although I do use the dough cyle on my bread machine. It is a lovely bread (I took a picture and submitted it) and has incredible flavor. I did use freshly ground, fresh rosemary. I, too, had to add about an extra cup of flour and maybe slightly more. I am trying your Garlic & Parmesan (#39632) later this week.

[Brian Damage]

I made this yesterday - it smelled wonderful as it baked. I used a lot of fresh rosemary and toasted it in the olive oil as suggested, but I also added a couple of teaspoons of fresh whole (not ground) rosemary. I used PaulaG's recipe for "foolproof sourdough starter" http://www.recipezaar.com/137811 and the crust was amazing. While the dough was rising, I decided to transfer it to a 9" square glass baking dish, which caused the loaf to rise nice and high.