HERBED ROSEMARY BREAD IN A BREAD MACHINE
This bread turned out to be so delicious, especially when served with a very good quality olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Or simply by itself! My hubby was almost more excited than me as we smelled the herbed rosemary bread baking and it perfumed the house with an intoxicating aroma.
How this recipe came about was because I wanted to reduce unused appliances and gadgets in my kitchen. One of those unused appliances was a beautiful, high-end Williams-Sonoma bread machine, WS2094, I bought in 1996. The infrequent use may have resulted from a busy life with young children. Or after attending culinary school, I liked the traditional process of making bread with old-fashioned kneading and rising, and felt like using my bread machine to knead was cheating. But honestly, I very rarely made bread and spent my limited time focusing on desserts rather than bread.
Lately I’ve faced tremendous challenges in the kitchen because of arthritis in my hands and wrists, so activities like kneading bread have not been possible. I realized a bread machine could be well-suited to my physical needs. Simply measure the ingredients, add them to the bread pan, and push a button to start the process of making fresh bread. And the process is fun! Hearing the sound of bread being mixed, kneaded and punched down; watching the dough rise through the little window on the top of my machine; and smelling the bread baking throughout the house is what makes this process so exciting.
It was more than 20 years since I used my bread machine, so the first step was to find out if the machine still worked. I read the manual. Most of the recipes included dairy ingredients and needed to be converted to plant-based recipes.
As I decided what type of bread to make, the heavenly rosemary bread I used to enjoy at Macaroni Grill years ago inspired me. I modified the basic recipe that came with my bread machine, and it turned out perfect.
My bread machine makes up to a 2.5 pound loaf. I have made different sizes depending on how much bread I want. The first loaf I made in my bread maker was a 2.5 pound size, and it rose so much, it nearly touched the window. The 2.0 pound loaf is almost as tall.
The order that you add the ingredients matters, so follow the instructions for your machine.
Since I started using my bread maker again, I’ve averaged about a loaf per week. It takes about 4 to 4 ½ hours for the entire process. I’ve even made two loaves the same day with no problems.
Advantages to making your own bread include control over the ingredients that are added or omitted, and the quality of the ingredients used, as well as the freshness of the finished product.
1 5/8 cups + 1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ tablespoons dried crushed rosemary
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) Active Dry Yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ tablespoons dried crushed rosemary
2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 1/8 cups + 1 tablespoon water
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ¼ tablespoons dried crushed rosemary
1 ¾ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
Adapted from basic recipe for Model WS2094 (made by MK Overseas U.S.A. and sold by Williams-Sonoma), p.10 of manual.
1. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your bread machine make and model.
2. For my machine: Remove the bread pan and attached the kneading blade to the drive shaft in the bread pan. Pour water into the bread pan.
3. Add bread flour, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Add Italian seasoning and rosemary.
4. Make a small hollow in the center of the flour and add the yeast there.
5. Return the bread pan to the machine and ensure it clicks into place.
6. Close the lid and plug in the machine. Select the bread mode and the bread crust color mode for your machine. I used the Basic setting and Light for the crust color.
9. My machine beeps when the bread is done. Press stop when the bread is done, unplug the machine, remove the bread pan (it will be hot!), and allow the bread to cool completely on a rack before slicing. Enjoy!
