Olive and Rosemary Bread

There is nothing better than a fresh, warm loaf of bread.

Nothing.

It's usually Dad who makes bread in our house. Beautiful Sourdoughs, with days of effort and care in them.

But this loaf doesn't ask for days of effort and care. Not at all! 

 Maybe half an hour of your time, and two hours of resting. That's all these loafs want. They're not greedy, that's for sure.

Which makes them perfect for a weekend morning. Prepare them, go get some stuff done while they rise, shape the loaves, get some more stuff done and bake them. Voila! Fresh bread!

But this isn't just your average loaf either. It's moist, stays soft and is full of olives and rosemary.

It's delicious! Do I have you sold?

I'd recommend fiddling with it- add whatever you please! I think nuts, dried fruits, different herbs or sun dried tomatoes would all be nice. Add them during the punchdown- a short knead to get the air out of the dough.

What would you add to the bread?

Olive and Rosemary Bread

Based on: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-rosemary-bread/detail.aspx and http://mademoisellesonushka.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/rosemary-olive-bread.html

• Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten


1. Dissolve the sugar in warm water in a medium bowl, and mix in the yeast. When yeast is bubbly, mix in salt, butter, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and Italian seasoning. Mix in 2 cups flour. Gradually add remaining flour to form a workable dough, and knead 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover, and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm location.
3. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper. Shape dough into 2 round loaves, and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Cover, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Brush loaves with egg. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
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Mia :)