2 3/4 cups of white flour + a couple spoonfuls for dusting
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup of unsalted butter (melted)
1 pat of butter, (not melted)
3 tbs olive oil. (get the good stuff) + 1/4 tsp for a coating
1 tps of dried and chopped rosemary
1 tps of dried flat leaf parsley
2 tbs active yeast or 1/8 cup of starter
1 tps sugar
1 cup of water
1 9x5' loaf pan
If you are using the yeast do this first. Activate the yeast by mixing it with the sugar in with 1/4 cup of water. When and if the mixture has started to bubble, continue on. If it doesn't bubble in 15 minutes, start over with another package until proofing occurs. Mix 1 1/4 cups of flour with the salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add water to the yeast or starter mix until there is 3/4 of a cup which you would then slowly mix into the flour mixture with a metal whisk. With your hands, mix in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour until a soft dough has formed. Kneed this ball for at least 10 minutes to make sure there is a homogeneous ball. ( You know you will get a workout, but it is so worth it) Now stop. Take a break, pour a glass of wine or something while letting this rest for at least 20 minutes. Dust a workspace with the remaining four and roll out the dough into a 12 x 7 ish rectangle. Lightly coat the rectangle with the olive oil over the whole upward facing side. Sprinkle some salt, a light touch of pepper, and the rosemary on the top half of the rectangle. Now, starting with the top half (the small end) roll up the rectangle with the herbs going into the roll first. This doesn't have to be too tight, but the tighter it is, the more incorporated the flavors from the olive oil and rosemary will be throughout the bread. When you are done, you should have a log around 12 inches long and a couple inches high. Now, with the remaining pat of butter, rub the interior walls of the loaf pan until there is a nice greasy sheen on everything. Dump any remaining flour into the pan and shake around until the interior walls have a white coating. (This stops the bread from sticking, a non-stick pan does the same thing but doesn't taste the same) Pinch off the end of your dough log to make sure they are closed and place the outer seam facing downwards in the pan. You will have to massage the dough a little into fitting. Let this rise in the pan for at least a hour before you add the last of the melted butter over the top of the loaf and sprinkle parsley over the top. Just cover it with some plastic wrap or a towel for a nice nap. When the dough has doubled in size, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. This may sound silly and it totally optional, but when the oven has gotten up to temp, get a spray bottle of water and mist the interior of the oven and slam the door shut. This raises the humidity of the oven and makes for a thinner crispy crust. Put the bread log in for 30-35 minutes or until the top is a deep golden color. (Use the window, don't open the door and let all that humidity out) When it is done, take it out and remove it from the loaf pan. Let it cool on a rack or a plate with a couple chopsticks across the bottom so as the heat can escape. Slice and enjoy.
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup of unsalted butter (melted)
1 pat of butter, (not melted)
3 tbs olive oil. (get the good stuff) + 1/4 tsp for a coating
1 tps of dried and chopped rosemary
1 tps of dried flat leaf parsley
2 tbs active yeast or 1/8 cup of starter
1 tps sugar
1 cup of water
1 9x5' loaf pan
If you are using the yeast do this first. Activate the yeast by mixing it with the sugar in with 1/4 cup of water. When and if the mixture has started to bubble, continue on. If it doesn't bubble in 15 minutes, start over with another package until proofing occurs. Mix 1 1/4 cups of flour with the salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add water to the yeast or starter mix until there is 3/4 of a cup which you would then slowly mix into the flour mixture with a metal whisk. With your hands, mix in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour until a soft dough has formed. Kneed this ball for at least 10 minutes to make sure there is a homogeneous ball. ( You know you will get a workout, but it is so worth it) Now stop. Take a break, pour a glass of wine or something while letting this rest for at least 20 minutes. Dust a workspace with the remaining four and roll out the dough into a 12 x 7 ish rectangle. Lightly coat the rectangle with the olive oil over the whole upward facing side. Sprinkle some salt, a light touch of pepper, and the rosemary on the top half of the rectangle. Now, starting with the top half (the small end) roll up the rectangle with the herbs going into the roll first. This doesn't have to be too tight, but the tighter it is, the more incorporated the flavors from the olive oil and rosemary will be throughout the bread. When you are done, you should have a log around 12 inches long and a couple inches high. Now, with the remaining pat of butter, rub the interior walls of the loaf pan until there is a nice greasy sheen on everything. Dump any remaining flour into the pan and shake around until the interior walls have a white coating. (This stops the bread from sticking, a non-stick pan does the same thing but doesn't taste the same) Pinch off the end of your dough log to make sure they are closed and place the outer seam facing downwards in the pan. You will have to massage the dough a little into fitting. Let this rise in the pan for at least a hour before you add the last of the melted butter over the top of the loaf and sprinkle parsley over the top. Just cover it with some plastic wrap or a towel for a nice nap. When the dough has doubled in size, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. This may sound silly and it totally optional, but when the oven has gotten up to temp, get a spray bottle of water and mist the interior of the oven and slam the door shut. This raises the humidity of the oven and makes for a thinner crispy crust. Put the bread log in for 30-35 minutes or until the top is a deep golden color. (Use the window, don't open the door and let all that humidity out) When it is done, take it out and remove it from the loaf pan. Let it cool on a rack or a plate with a couple chopsticks across the bottom so as the heat can escape. Slice and enjoy.
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