Rosemary Bread from Emma

Ingredients

  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 3 c. Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 3 Tbs Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbs Yeast
  • 1 Tbs Sugar
  • 1 c. Warm Water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Sliver 1 CLOVE GARLIC and set aside.
  3. Combine 3 CUPS FLOUR with 1TSP SALT
  4. Blend in 3 TBS OLIVE OIL
  5. Sprinkle 1 TBS YEAST and 1 TBS SUGAR evenly over the mixture
  6. Pour 1 CUP WARM (NOT HOT) WATER over the yeast, and let stand for 1-3 minutes, or until the yeast becomes very bubbly.
  7. Mix it all up until the dough has a soft, even consistency. If you are not using a food processor, you will need to spread flour on a countertop and knead the dough for at least 7 minutes. Before the kneading begins, you can add either water or flour to adjust the consistency. Though adding too much water can be trouble, I like making the dough as soft as possible without it getting sticky.
  8. Rub a bowl with olive oil and plop your ball of dough in. Cover the bowl with a cloth.
  9. Let your dough rise for at least 2 HOURS, and no more than 4 hours. Setting the covered bowl on the stovetop while the oven is heating will speed up the process. Halfway through the rising time you can give your dough a satisfying punch in the belly, as long as you let it rise up again.

    10. NOW:
  10. Grease a cookie sheet or pizza pan very well. You can sprinkle a little cornmeal over the greased pan to make it extra special and stick proof.
  11. Flatten your dough onto the pan, as if it were a pizza crust. Make dimples in it with the tips of your fingers-- the more the better.
  12. Pour a generous amount of OLIVE OIL over the flattened dough, filling the dimples and covering the entire surface.
  13. Spread your freshly SLIVERED GARLIC CLOVE and about 1 TBS DRIED OR FRESH ROSEMARY over the dough. Lightly press these ingredients into the dough.
  14. Now sprinkle generous amounts of SALT and PEPPER over the dough, and pop it in the oven.
  15. Bake your bread on a middle shelf for 13-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  16. Take the loaf off the pan immediately, wrapping it in a cloth to retain the heat.
  17. Then, my dear girl, eat up!