Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil

This Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil was a weekend hit and the perfect loaf to pair with a fresh dinner of sauteed farm veggies and baked chicken.

After a bit of traveling last week, I was really itching to get into the kitchen to bake. This bread recipe definitely didn't disappoint.

I am also having a hard time coming to terms with the fact it is already July. How did July get here so quickly? In preparation for Fourth of July backyard grilling, I wanted to go low-key over the weekend. Instead of our usual big family dinner, I opted for a simpler weekend treat, saving my time and kitchen for the upcoming holiday.

I have a fun grilled dinner planned for Monday, so this weekend I wanted some simple baked chicken, sauteed veggies and a hearty bread. I always know if nothing else suits him, my toddler will always be happy with freshly baked bread.

 The start of July also brings me to this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month it was my honor to be assigned Karen's Kitchen Stories. Karen is a self-proclaimed bread geek, so I knew I had to try one of her breads.. Believe me, there is a long list of amazing looking breads in her recipe index. Bread isn't the only thing Karen is talented at making, I also  found some other amazing looking recipes for General Tso's Chicken  and Baby Yukon Gold Hasselback Potatoes. If you end up making one of Karen's recipes, be sure to let me know in the comments below which one caught your eye!

I always enjoy any excuse to bust out my sourdough starter (originally from King Arthur Flour) and loved that this one also used rosemary. My darling "little" plant has completely taken over one corner of my garden and I currently have more rosemary than I could ever use.

But that is a problem that I rather enjoy having. I do try to use rosemary whenever possible without going completely overboard. This bread is amazing - but not overboard on rosemary flavor. Yum!

The recipe is actually quite simple, but it does take some forethought as there is a lot of inactive time required while the loaves rise. The longest rise takes place overnight in the refrigerator. I just barely escaped a rising disaster due to my bowl size. Luckily, it had just enough room to expand overnight before being shaped and baked.

This recipe is enough for making 2 boules, and they are best baked in cast iron dutch ovens for the best crust and crumb. I only have one Le Creuset dutch oven, so baked the other loaf on black Silpat. It was also good, but do try to use a dutch oven if you have one.

Also, Karen's recipe calls for letting the dough rise in a banneton or brotform. My loaves didn't achieve the same height because I let them rise free-form. Don't worry, I actually have a round banneton ordered and hope to share my experience with it soon. If you don't have these types of forms, don't worry. Do expect your loaf to spread outward more than up.

Ready to sink your teeth into a slice of Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil?

Okay. Let's get baking!

Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil
from Karen's Kitchen Stories adapted from Amy's Bread, Revised and Updated: Artisan-style breads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more from New York City's favorite bakery

You will need:

• 2 oz. warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tsp. active dry yeast
• 14 oz. sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 8 oz. water, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. rosemary, chopped
• 15.3 oz. all-purpose flour
• 2.8 oz. whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. bread salt (try King Arthur Flour's blend) 

In a stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Allow to proof for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.

To the mixer bowl, add in the starter, 8 ounces water, olive oil, and rosemary. Mix with the paddle attachment.

Switch to the dough hook and add in the remaining ingredients. Knead on medium-low (Kitchen-aid setting 4) for a couple of minutes. The dough should be tacky and soft.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl or rising bucket. After an hour, fold the dough over from all 4 sides and place it back into the oiled bowl, seam side down. Refrigerate for 8 - 16 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 2 hours.

Split the dough in half. Form two boules and place the dough seam side down on pieces of parchment. Cover and allow to rise for 75 minutes to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you are going to cook one or more loaves in dutch ovens, place the dutch ovens in the oven to preheat as well.

Spray the lid lightly with water and place the dough into a preheated dutch oven. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and dutch oven. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

*If you don't have a dutch oven, you can bake this loaf on a tray. I used black Silpat and sprayed the inside of the oven with water before closing the door. Follow the same temperature and time guidelines as the covered loaf. The loaf will taste the same, but will have a different crust. Both methods are delicious, though.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Sourdough Buttered Rolls - Something to Chew On

Every year Parent Teacher Conferences just sneak up on me. I am left with wondering, do I have any questions? Or what do my kids do all day?

I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I mean, I went through 12+ years of conferences and usually accompanied my Mom to hear what the teachers had to say. I remember not all teachers liked that idea.

Now it is requested that the kids are there. So, with two siblings in tow, we all head in to find out what is up. Of course we are armed with the approved question handout...

Yes, I said, "Approved questions". This really blew my mind.

It asks parents to be encouraging, supportive in their students' efforts and progress. There are even talking points for parents. We are asked to make positive comments like:

• I'm proud of the work that you have shown us.
• I can see that you are trying very hard.
• I'm so impressed with the way you conducted your conference.

Really? I am pretty sure my Mom was not given tips on positive body language for a Kindergarten Parent Teacher Conference. I am also pretty sure that if needed, all talk of "trying very hard" would have been thrown right out the window if I had been goofing off in class.

Instead I probably would have faces consequences at home. You better believe my Mom's body language would not have been positive. It would have said loud and clear, "We will discuss this when we get home."

I would have straightened up after that.

Are we coddling our kids too much? Everyday I make an effort to talk to my son and daughter about their day in school. We address issues and we find solutions. 

When my daughter had issues with some girls in her class, we talked about it. We worked on boosting her self esteem and we discussed it with her teacher. With my son, he needed extra reading practice at home. We also spend a few extra hours a week on his penmanship. I did encourage real results.

But it ruffles my feathers a little when the school tells me how to behave in a Parent Teacher Conference. 

So, instead of stewing over what I would like to say on the matter... I will keep my mouth shut and full of these fabulous and fun little Sourdough Buttered Rolls. A tangy and simple sourdough in a fun roll shape. The carb-filled goodness did help me take my mind off the whole upcoming Teacher Conference showdown.

I promise to be good... I just may need another roll...

Okay, onto this fun twist on sourdough...

Grab your ingredients, which includes your fed sourdough starter. I like to feed mine the night before baking. 

My stand mixer with pig tail dough implement does a great job kneading the dough... so I don't need too. This is so much better than my old dough hook. 

Once kneaded, cover the bowl and let it sit and rise in a warm area. My kitchen usually stays the warmest, but don't be surprised if the sourdough rises very slowly.

These are made just like your classic cinnamon rolls. Instead of filling them with cinnamon and brown sugar, they are brushed with butter. I think this Spring I will fill them with a little herb and cheese mixture, or perhaps caramelized onions and rosemary?

Roll them up and place them in two pie plates to rise for another hour or so. They will have a crispy exterior like a loaf of sourdough, but the middle smells wonderfully like a deep yeasty loaf of sourdough bread. 

Two pans was the perfect side for a simple soup. In this house, fresh breads never last long.

Sourdough Buttered Rolls

You Will Need:

• 1/2 c. sourdough starter, fed
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 1/4 tsp. bread salt
• 1 large egg
• 5 + 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 c. room temperature water

Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer with corkscrew bread attachment. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough comes together and is soft and smooth. 

Cover the mixing bowl with kitchen wrap and let the dough double in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours in a warm place. 

When the dough has gone through its first rise, transfer to a non-stick rolling mat or a slightly greased surface. Roll out to 12"x16" rectangle. Spread the surface with 5 Tbsp. softened butter. Roll the dough up into a log and slice like cinnamon rolls. 

Place sliced rolls into 2 pie plates, cover and let rise for another hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees towards the end of the rise. 

Bake for about 25 minutes. The rolls will only brown slightly. Do not overcook. Spread the remaining softened butter over the finished rolls and serve immediately.

Enjoy! ...and wish me luck with those Parent Teacher Conferences tomorrow.

Cinnamon Chip Sourdough Banana Muffins... Yes, Sourdough!

I love sourdough...the tangy flavor, the depth of flavor and of course the challenge.

No, it hasn't been a challenge for me to bake with sourdough. I have a problem with using it up fast enough. Let me explain. See I keep 2 starters going on my kitchen counter. Yes, we have used it for all the classic recipes, pancakes and bread, but I just hate discarding the extra starter.

I have given away all I can, and I think people are starting to run away for fear I will shove starter on them.

Yes, I could just toss it, but that hurts my frugal side deeply.

So I try to use it. My search on Pinterest didn't come up with any new ideas, so I went back to The Bread Bible. I scoured all my bread books in fact, but The Bread Bible was the most promising. It suggested working my sourdough into other recipes.

Of course my eyes started to cross when I saw it was an equation. You have to be sure to account for the water and flour (by weight) in the sourdough starter and adjust the original recipe accordingly.

After a mention of sourdough in muffins, I knew what I wanted to make. These Cinnamon Chip Sourdough Banana Muffins were heartier than their regular cousins, and with a little added flavor depth. I was happy.

So what you need to get started is a sourdough culture.

Now don't worry. You can get a little from a generous friend, purchase it online from a place like King Arthur Flour, or start your own sourdough. Of course starting your own takes a little more time, but it is a very easy way to go about it. There was even a recipe that came with my bread machine.

For this recipe you will need an established starter and enough time (around 12 hours) to feed and let the yeast really start growing.

Then whipping up this recipe is as easy as any regular muffin recipe. Use up those browning bananas and throw in some cinnamon chips - you have muffins!

Ready to get started?

Cinnamon Chip Sourdough Banana Muffins
You Will Need:

• 1 c. unfed sourdough starter
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 medium bananas, mashed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 c. cinnamon chips

12 hours to a day before you want to serve the muffins, combine the flour and starter. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, just so you can mix all the flour in. (It will depend on how wet your starter is)

After the starter has grown and bubbled for at least 12 hours, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tin with baking papers.

Combine the remaining wet ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Then in another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients except the cinnamon chips.

Mix the wet ingredients into the starter, then stir in the dry items until all incorporated. Fold in the cinnamon chips last. 

Fill muffin papers 3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!