my emotional support rosemary thyme garlic loaf
recipe
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2tsp quick rise yeast
2tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cool water
2tbsp dried thyme
1tbsp garlic powder
2tsp dried rosemary
instructions
1. whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl then switch to a spoon as you slowly pour in the water, mixing as you go. keep working the dough and switch to hands as necessary. add extra flour or water as needed in small increments (depending on your environment) and turn out onto a floured surface to gently knead until you reach a dough that is soft and slightly sticky, it should feel a bit 'loose' but stable and shouldn't stick to your hands. this dough doesnt require intense kneading, just a couple mins until it feels incorporated.
2. shape into a ball and drop back into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a dishtowel at room temp to rise for 2-3 hours (precise temp isn't necessary). after 2-3 hours the dough should be roughly 2x the original size, stick to the sides of the bowl and have little air bubbles all over.
3. (optional) move dough to the fridge to rest overnight or for roughly 12~ hours. you can actually bake it after the 2-3 hours is up but it tastes best when left to rise for longer. longer rise = better flavour.
4. turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for a min or two, just folding it on itself until it feels cohesive before shaping it into a ball again. plop it on a sheet of high temp oven-safe parchment paper and cut a large X slash in the centre with a sharp knife or scissors. cover gently with plastic wrap or dishtowel and let sit for 30 mins.
5. get out your dutch oven and place it in the oven with the lid on, and preheat oven to 475°F. the dutch oven will heat with the oven, we want it very hot when the dough gets placed in. once the oven is ready/done preheating, remove the dutch oven and place the loaf inside with the parchment paper included, close the lid and put it back in the oven.
6. bake for 25 mins with the lid on. remove the lid and continue baking 8-10 mins until the crust is golden. carefully remove pot from the oven, remove the bread from the pot and let cool on a wire rack for 30 mins before slicing/serving. the resulting bread should have a crispy crust but very soft inside. works best as a bread for soups, snacks, and on its own warmed up with some soft butter and cheese.
