Rosemary Loaf

This is an attempt to copy the bread they serve at Macaroni Grill.  Pretty darn close, in my opinion.

1 1/2 Tbl. Dry yeast
1 Tbl. Sugar
1 Tbl. Kosher salt
1 c water (lukewarm)
1 c milk (lukewarm)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 Tbl. Dried rosemary*
6 Tbl. Olive oil
5-6 c unbleached flour

(* I used 1 Tbl. Fresh and 1 Tbl. Dried rosemary, however, if you like a stronger rosemary flavor, use all dry rosemary.)

Combine the yeast, salt, sugar, seasonings, and about half of the lukewarm water and milk mixture, and then the oil. Using a heavy duty stand mixer with a dough hook, start to mix in about 5 C of the flour. Add in the remaining flour and water and milk mixture slowly, until you get the desired consistency (you may not need all of the water and milk). If you’re making free-form loaves, like I do, the dough should be tacky, but not sticky. Place the dough in a bowl with a lid, but not airtight. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour. Separate the dough into two equal pieces. Take one of the pieces of dough, and shape into a loaf. Place the loaf on a bread peel that has been generously dusted with corn meal. Or put it in a loaf pan that has been lightly greased. Do the same with the remaining dough. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes. 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 375F (with the pizza stone in the oven if you’re doing the free-form method).Bake for about 30 minutes. The internal temperature of bread should reach 180 F. Allow to cool before slicing.

(optional: brush with butter right after you take it out of the oven, and sprinkle the top with salt.)
This bread is super yummy for dipping in a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

(Recipe and Photo courtesy of Pirijo Silver.)