Crispy Rosemary Bread

There is truly nothing better than freshly baked bread right from the oven! The smell it leaves throughout the house, the sound it makes as you slice through it, oh and the taste...is out of this world!

The Ingredients:

Besides water, there are only four other main ingredients:

1. Bread flour

2. Salt

3. Yeast

4. Rosemary

5. Cornmeal (for dusting pizza peel)

Making the Dough:

1. Start with lukewarm water.

2. Add 1.5 tsps of active, dry yeast (A note: if you are unsure if your yeast is good, add about ¼ cup of warm water with a pinch of dissolved sugar. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, if the yeast bubbles and foams, then your yeast is good to go)!

3. Add 2 or 3 tbsps of rosemary.

4. Add flour.

5. With a wired whisk, combine all ingredients. As the dough gets thicker, use a heavy wooden spoon to mix it or a stand mixer with a dough hook on a low setting.

6. Add a pinch or two of salt to the dough.

7. Stir the dough again and cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for two hours (A note: set the dough in a warm area away from chili air or wherever there may be a cold draft).

The Method (After the Dough Rises):

1. Apply a light dusting of flour and split the dough into two halves.

2. Lightly dust a pizza peel with cornmeal. The dough will be wet; this is normal.

3. Add a little more flour to the dough to work with it and shape it, only if needed.

4. Continue to shape and work the dough, adding more four if needed on the pizza peel.

5. Score the top of the bread before baking.

6. Cover the loaves with a tea towel and let them rise for an additional 40 minutes.

7. Prepare a steam bath with some hot water from the stovetop.

• Place a dry cast-iron skillet on the lower rack of the oven.

• Place the bread on the rack above the skillet.

• Pour hot water into the skillet and close the oven door immediately.

• Do not open the door of the oven until you remove the bread.

This homemade bread is ready to eat in about 3 hours, start to finish. The great part is you only use about 10 minutes of that time preparing the recipe. The majority of the time involves rising and baking.

It is important to note that this bread is very wet and it may be extremely difficult to work it. You may think you have done something wrong but don't worry, it is supposed to be this way.

You can also store the second dough in the fridge for up to a week or store it in the freezer for next time!

Enjoy your freshly baked bread with some butter or my personal fav, homemade oil and vinegar from @rustichella_.