Rosemary Bread for BBD # 56

Jenni from The Gingered Whisk has been hosting January Bread Baking Day #56, the monthly event created by Zorra a few years ago. She has asked us to bake a bread and make it very good-looking for a bread fashion show.

I posted about this Rosemary Bread so many years ago, at the very begining of my blog, and the pictures and the way of writing clearly shows it ... how far I have come and how many things I am still supposed to learn!

It's a very tasty bread, simple and rustic but pretty nice to be a gorgeous centerpice on the table. Ideal to enjoy with roast meat. But you can choose to substitute rosemary with  sage, thyme or marjoram, or else a mix of aromatic herbs (perfect with salads), or else green/pink pepper or a mix of it (with cheese and salads).

Perhaps it's more scenographic using all white flour, as you will have much contrast, but this time I went for a special energetic mix I buy at my favorite baker: it includes barley flour, toasted mixed cereal flour, sesame, flax and sunflower seeds, soy gritz, a pretty high content in protein. I have already done pizza with this mix and it's really great!
But you can choose your favorite mix of whole grain flour.

But the good-looking style, or better the precious one, is due to the pretty amusing story behind this bread: the tale says that it was baked by a baker living in Ferrara to please and honor the ancient Lords of the city, belonging to the House of Este, as they usually served at their gorgeous banquets a rosemary bread sparkling with diamonds.

Well, it does not occur that you go and buy some real jewelery, just substitute with coarse salt, as big as you can, it will glitter like real diamonds!

 

Sponge:

150 g strong flour *
15 g fresh yeast
85 g water

Mix well and let rise until doubled.


Dough:

100 g strong flour *
200 g energetic flour **
175 g water or milk (with water is more colorful)
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
coarse sea salt for decoration


* high protein flour - W > 330
** barley flour, toasted mixed cereal flour, sesame, flax and sunflower seeds, soy gritz

 

In the kneader: put sponge into the bowl, start kneading at low speed and add oil and water (or milk) little by little.
When almost melted slowly add flour, rosemary and salt at last.
Knead for 10 minutes, then turn the dough onto the work surface and knead and beat for a couple of minutes.

By hand: por flour onto the working surface, make a well in the centre, put water, oil and the sponge into and melt together.
Then add rosemary and salt and mix all together with the rest of the flour.
Knead and beat for about 10 minutes.

Should be a nice soft but elastic dough.

Put in a greased bowl, cover and let rise about 90 minutes, until doubled.
Deflate the dough with a punch in the center, turn onto the working surface and shape in a loaf or a ball.
Let rise covered (better if already on the baking tray lined  with parchment paper) for 40/50 minutes, it doesn't need to double.

 

Gently make incisions with a razor blade, a six-pointed star on the ball, diagonally cuts on the loaf and put some coarse sea salt in there.

I put my bread into a baking pan as the dough was very soft and was afraid it might collapse while leavening.

Bake at 220° for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 190/200° for 15 minutes, then place the bread directly on the rack of the oven for 15/20 minutes more, lowering the temperature to 170/180°. Cover with aluminium foil if it gets too golden quickly.

If done in a loaf it might be a little easier and quicker to bake.

 

This recipe also goes to Susan's weekly YeastSpotting