Name: Bread Recipe With Rosemary
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 170 min
Ingredients: 500 g flour; 7 g yeast; ½ tsp salt; 3 tbsp rosemary (fresh)

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Where did I find rosemary bread?

Once upon a time I thought bread was bread and it was what it was, an essential part of life but nothing to get excited about. Certainly nothing to write about! Then, several years ago I went to a restaurant and ordered a starter that came with a slice of bread. This wasn’t any old bread, Oh, no! This was lightly toasted, hand baked rosemary bread and it was beautiful! I continued going back to that restaurant just for that bread. Eventually I decided to try and create my own rosemary bread recipe. Going out for an expensive meal just for the bread that came with it was a little unreasonable. I think the key to this healthy bread recipe is fresh rosemary. P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on socials so that you never miss any of my healthy recipes for weight loss.

Baking bread is somewhat a lost art and I’m certainly guilty of buying shop bought bread more often than not. No shame here! It does take some time but I think most people don’t realise just how easy it is. The only set back is having the time to rise the dough.

Do you have a diet restriction?

This recipe is suitable for the following ingredients:

Vegan
Vegetarian
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Low FODMAP

The Ingredients:

For this recipe, you want to start collecting up your herbs. I’ve been growing this little rosemary plant for a few months now and its doing really well despite the winter. I cant wait to get it planted, in the sunshine this spring but for now its in this little pot. I’ve cut around 5-6 sprigs of and took all the leaves off the stalk. As I don’t want to find big chunks of leaf in my bread I’ve finely chopped the rosemary leaves. I ended up with around 3 tablespoons, half of which went into my dough, the other half pressed on top.

Once your herbs are prepared you can start mixing the dough. Weigh out your dry ingredients (only half of the rosemary) and mix them into a bowl. I used white bread flour as I’m trying to use up all the old flour in my cupboards but you can substitute this with wholemeal bread flour if you would like a healthier substitute.

Step 1: Mix ingredients together

Add in 300ml of luke-warm water. Don’t use hot water as you’ll start cooking the bread but don’t use cold either as the warmth helps activate the yeast. Traditionally, bread dough is mixed with your hands however I passionately hate getting my hands in that kind of sticky mess so I mix with a spoon and have no regrets. Your aiming for a ball of dough with a consistency that’s tacky but not so sticky that it sticks to your hands the way it does when your first mixing it. If its too sticky add more flour, if its too dry and falling apart, add more water.

The kneading!

Once your dough is mixed, lightly flour a work surface and empty your dough out. This is where we begin kneading. Once your dough is sufficiently kneaded it will no longer be tacky and have a smooth elastic feel. If your not making a loaf and need to split your dough into rolls or need to split it for any other reason I suggest that you do this now before rising.

If your not sure how to knead bread then check out this tutorial by the spruce Eats. I had been taught growing up that you should put all of your energy into kneading and really give the bread “what for”. however I would always end up with small poorly risen loafs and wasn’t too sure why. Eventually I found out that I had been taught to knead the wrong way and it should actually be a much gentler process. Pop your dough back into a bowl (many people suggest a clean oiled bowl but I have never done that or felt the need to) and cover with a tea towel. Place it somewhere warm (but not hot like right in front of a fire or radiator). An airing cupboard, sunny windowsill or heated room are all good options. Leave it for around 1-2 hours or until the dough is double the original size. A little tip I recently learned was not to over rise your dough, if you leave it for too long the gluten will run out of stretch and your dough will not rise during the next step, proving.

Proving and baking:

If your dough has risen and doubled in size like the picture above, you are ready for the second knead, this is also called proving. When the dough rises, not only does the dough rise but it can also fill with air. If you skip the proving step you would still have edible bread but it may well resemble Emmental cheese or even be hollow altogether. To prevent this, we gently knead again to beat that air out. Do this for 2-3 minutes. its normal for the bread to shrink back down, don’t panic, you didn’t mess it up but it will deflate before your very eyes.

With that in mind, next come the second rising. Before you do, place the dough in its loaf tin or if making rolls on a baking tray. This is your last chance to shape dough, if visual appearance is important to you. As you can tell, i don’t worry too much about the shape, it all tastes good to me! Cover over your dough and leave to rise again for about 1 hour. It may not rise as much as it did the first time as there is no air this time around which accounts for a lot of the first rise as previously mentioned.

Now your bread is almost ready for baking. If baking a loaf you can score 1cm deep down the middle to create that traditional shaped loaf or you could experiment with patterns in rolls. Pat the rest of your rosemary onto the top of your dough and place in the middle of an oven preheated to 180C for 35 minutes

A good tip I heard for checking if bread has finished baking is by tapping on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow then its cooked. If it doesn’t then put it back in the oven for another few minutes. This bread is beautiful with cheese, cheddar and rosemary is such a wonderful combination and I urge you to try it!

If cheese isn’t your thing, why not try my fresh Tzatziki recipe. Alternatively, my sweet potato soup recipe which is literally to die for!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I Use Dried Rosemary Instead of Fresh?

Yes, you can substitute dried rosemary for fresh, but the flavor intensity may differ. Adjust the quantity according to your taste preference.

Is the Second Rising Necessary?

While the second rise is optional, it contributes to a lighter and fluffier texture. If you’re short on time, you can proceed with shaping the dough after the initial rise.

What Variations Can I Try?

Experiment with adding other herbs like thyme or oregano for a unique flavor profile. You can also incorporate a blend of whole grains for added texture and nutrition.

Can I Freeze the Bread?

Absolutely! Allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.

Variations

Olive and Rosemary Bread:

Add chopped olives to the dough during the initial mixing stage for a Mediterranean twist. The combination of olives and rosemary creates a flavorful bread.

Garlic Rosemary Bread:

Infuse the dough with minced garlic for a fragrant and savory bread. Adjust the garlic quantity based on your taste preferences.

Cheese and Herb Bread:

Incorporate grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese along with rosemary for a delightful cheesy bread. The cheese adds richness to the flavor profile.

Whole Wheat Rosemary Bread:

Replace part of the white flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier and nuttier version. This variation boosts the bread’s fibre content.

Tzatziki Recipe

I think my most important tip for Tzatziki is to use fresh ingredients, fresh yogurt, fresh crunchy cucumber but especially fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are much more fragrant than dried herbs and their flavours will flow beautifully throughout the yogurt. Traditionally, tzatziki would be made with full fat Greek yogurt however for this recipe I swap to fat free to keep the recipe diet friendly.

Check out this recipe

Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

If your sitting there thinking " I'm not really a soup person" then this is the soup for you. I wasn't a soup kinda' gal until I tried this soup but the flavours and thickness are just on point! Its sweet, spicy and definitely very hearty, soup may come across as a light meal but this one is definitely very filling. Its vegan, natural, clean and did I mention how tasty it is?

Check out this recipe

Its impossible to give correct portion calories for this recipe. It all depends on how thick you slice your bread and how much your bread has risen to begin with. I worked out there were 1760 calories in the entire loaf and if you get 10 slices from a loaf that’s 176 calories a slice.

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