Rosemary Pan Bread

Last week, my 8 year old protégé, Dude, picked up a cookbook at the school library.  He started reading during his free time at school and immediately picked a recipe he wanted to try!  He was so excited, we had to swing by the grocery store on the way home from school, so he could pick up some fresh rosemary for his Rosemary Pan Bread from the book Cooking with Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon: A Cookbook for Kids by Jules Bass.

The bread turned out absolutely amazing, however, I was glad that I already had some experience with bread baking, because a few little details (such as greasing the bowl before rising the bread) were missing from the recipe.  I have more thoughts on the book, but I don’t want to hijack Dude’s post with a review, so click over to GoodReads for the full review, if you’re interested.

I will say, it was fun to teach Dude the art of kneading bread by hand (he wasn't expecting it to take so much muscle!)  He was amazed as he watched the dough slowly come together!  We'd take turns kneading, so he was able to get a feel for the dough at each stage of kneading!

Dude said it best.  After he took a big ‘ol bite out of the fresh warm bread, he said, “Mom!  They were so right when they said to serve it warm – it’s delicious!”

Here’s Dude:

I found the recipe in a book I found in the school library.  I chose it because the picture and the recipe looked good.  It was fun punching down the dough!   It tasted delicious, especially when it was fresh from the oven! 

Rosemary Pan Bread

Adapted from Cooking with Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon: A Cookbook for Kids, page 12

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)

1 tbsp yeast

½ tsp sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

5 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Pinch of coarse salt, to top (optional)

In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar until dissolved.  Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine.

Once the yeast mixture is foamy, stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the yeast mixture.  Mix on low until a loose ball forms.

Then, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes (if the dough is too wet & sticking to hands, add a bit more flour.  If it is too dry and won’t hold together, add another tablespoon of water.)  Note: as an alternative to kneading by hand, switch to the dough hook and knead for 3 minutes in the stand mixer.

Lightly spray a bowl with nonstick spray.  Place the dough in the bowl and flip to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft fee area for 30-40 minutes or until the dough had doubled in size.

Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.

Punch down the dough and flip on to the sheet.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Gently press the dough out toward the edges of the pan until flattened.  If the dough resists stretching, allow it to rest a bit longer.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise for 10 minutes.  Lightly brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle with rosemary and salt. 

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes.

Cool slightly, then slice in squares and serve.

 I am linking this recipe up to February Foodies Read, hosted by Based on a True Story.