sugared rosemary bread recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: a crowd
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 2¼ teaspoons dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup hot water (about 120 degrees F)
  • 1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled to warm
  • scant ¼ cup finely chopped rosemary
  • scant ¼ cup white granulated sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
  • 1 egg, beaten with a splash of cool water
Instructions
  1. Measure 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid to mix and knead) and add in yeast and salt. Stir to blend.
  2. Pour in hot water and melted and slightly cooled butter. IMPORTANT NOTE: pour the butter in gradually, tablespoon by tablespoon, only after the mixture is developing into a dough.* Beat with paddle attachment (or wooden spoon) for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the balance of the flour, ¼ cup at a time, mixing between additions. Change to a dough hook, if using a stand-up mixer.
  4. Knead in bowl until it cleans the side of the bowl and loses its stickiness. If using your hands, use a well-floured surface to knead for about 10 minutes. (If too oily and wet, you may have added the butter too quickly -- it's okay, but the gluten won't form right.)
  5. Allow to rise for about 2 hours at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. The dough should double in size.
  6. Gently deflate and roll out to fit onto a 11x17 pan (alternatively, you can divide the dough into two equal pieces and make smaller flat loaves). I rolled out on my silicon mat so I would have an easy transfer of the mat to the pan.
  7. Dimple the top with your fingertips slightly and allow to rise, covered on the pan, for about 40 minutes.
  8. Start preheating your oven 20 minutes before you plan to bake, to 375 degrees.
  9. Brush with a beaten egg mixed with a splash of water.
  10. Top with the mix of scant ¼ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary and scant ¼ cup of white granulated sugar. The mix of the rosemary and sugar will feel like moist sand and look like snow fleck with pine needles. Sprinkling this moist mixture isn't easy; if it is a little clumped up, it's okay. Fill in some of the large non-sugared areas with some plain white sugar.
  11. Place in oven for 30-35 minutes. Top will be browned and some of the sugar will be melted. Transfer mat/parchment onto cooling rack. When cool enough to handle bread, slide mat/parchment out from under bread and cool further, if desired.
  12. Serve warm with tea or coffee.
  13. This bread freezes well if wrapped tightly in foil.
Notes
* Why is this gradual butter addition so important? Otherwise, the dough can break into a greasy mess.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/bread-recipes/sugared-rosemary-bread/