Yield: 1 large loaf
Servings: 10–12 slices
Prep: 25 minutes active
Rise: 2–3 hours
Bake: 35–45 minutes
Total: about 4–5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredients
For the dough
3 cups (375 g) bread flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270 g) lukewarm water
1½ teaspoons (8 g) fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (4 g) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (15 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
For the rosemary-garlic topping
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1½–2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1–2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, optional
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1–2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional
1 small fresh rosemary sprig for decoration
Optional additions
For a more flavorful loaf, you can add:
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Activate the yeast
Place the lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl.
Add:
honey or sugar
instant yeast
Stir briefly and let stand for about 5 minutes.
The water should be comfortably warm, not hot. Very hot water can damage the yeast.
2. Make the dough
Add the bread flour and salt.
Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and continue mixing.
The dough should be:
soft
slightly sticky
elastic
not runny
Don’t add lots of extra flour. A slightly wet dough is what helps create the beautiful irregular holes seen in the loaf.
3. Knead
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes.
Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the dough hook on low-medium speed for about 6–8 minutes.
The dough is ready when it becomes smoother and stretches without immediately tearing.
Quick gluten test
Take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it.
If you can stretch it thin enough to see light through it before it breaks, the gluten is sufficiently developed.
4. First rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap, a lid, or a damp kitchen towel.
Let it rise in a warm place for approximately:
1½–2 hours
or until roughly doubled in size.
Cold-rise option
For better flavor, cover and refrigerate the dough for 8–24 hours.
Bring it back to room temperature for about 45–60 minutes before shaping.
5. Prepare the rosemary-garlic oil
While the dough rises, combine:
2 tablespoons olive oil
minced garlic
chopped rosemary
thyme
coarse salt
black pepper, if using
Important garlic tip
For a milder flavor, lightly sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 30–60 seconds over low heat.
Don’t brown it.
Allow the oil to cool before using it on the dough.
6. Shape the loaf
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Gently press out some of the large air bubbles, but don’t aggressively knead it.
Shape it into a rounded or slightly oval loaf.
For the appearance in your photograph, make the loaf approximately:
9–10 inches long × 6–7 inches wide.
Place it on a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Second rise
Cover loosely.
Let it rest for approximately:
30–45 minutes
The dough should look noticeably puffy.
Don’t wait until it completely doubles again.
8. Add the rosemary and garlic
Brush the surface generously with the rosemary-garlic olive oil.
Using your fingertips, gently press several shallow indentations into the dough.
Don’t flatten it.
Scatter the remaining rosemary and garlic over the surface.
Add a small amount of Parmesan if desired.
Place a fresh rosemary sprig diagonally across the top, as shown in the photograph.
9. Score the bread
Using a sharp knife or bread lame, make 2–4 shallow diagonal cuts across the top.
Don’t cut all the way through.
The cuts allow the loaf to expand in a controlled way during baking.
10. Bake
Best method: Dutch oven
Preheat the oven to:
450°F (230°C)
with a Dutch oven inside for approximately 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the loaf, still on parchment, into the hot Dutch oven.
Bake:
20 minutes covered
Then remove the lid and reduce the temperature to:
425°F (220°C)
Continue baking for another:
15–20 minutes
until deeply golden brown.
Without a Dutch oven
Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Put a small oven-safe pan on the bottom rack.
When you put the bread into the oven, pour approximately 1 cup boiling water into the hot pan to create steam.
Bake at:
450°F (230°C) for 15 minutes
Then remove the steam pan and reduce the temperature to:
425°F (220°C)
Bake another 20–25 minutes.
How do I know when it’s done?
The loaf should be:
deeply golden brown
crisp on the outside
firm when tapped
approximately 200–210°F (93–99°C) internally
If you have an instant-read thermometer, aim for approximately 205°F / 96°C in the center.
11. Finish the loaf
As soon as it comes out of the oven, brush it lightly with:
1 tablespoon melted butter + 1 teaspoon olive oil
Optional:
Sprinkle with a tiny amount of flaky sea salt.
This gives the crust the glossy, rich appearance visible in the photograph.
12. Cool before cutting
This is important.
Place the bread on a cooling rack and wait at least:
30–45 minutes
before slicing.
Cutting immediately can make the interior gummy because the crumb is still setting.
What the finished bread should be like
Outside:
Crisp, deeply golden and slightly chewy.
Inside:
Soft, moist and airy, with irregular holes.
Flavor:
Savory garlic, fragrant rosemary, olive oil and a subtle sweetness from the honey.
Can I use dried rosemary?
Yes.
Use approximately:
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
instead of 1½–2 tablespoons fresh.
Fresh rosemary is preferable for the appearance in the photograph.
Can I use roasted garlic?
Absolutely — and it’s one of my favorite variations.
Roast a whole head of garlic at 400°F (205°C) with olive oil for approximately 35–45 minutes.
Cool, squeeze out the cloves and mash them.
Spread the roasted garlic over the dough before baking.
It produces a much sweeter, less sharp garlic flavor.
Parmesan version
For a more savory loaf, add:
2–3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan to the dough
another 1–2 tablespoons over the top
You can also add a little mozzarella for a cheesy pull-apart style loaf.
Spicy version
Add to the topping:
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
For stronger heat, use ½–1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes.
🫒 Olive variation
Add ¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives to the dough.
Other good additions include:
sun-dried tomatoes
caramelized onions
roasted red peppers
Parmesan
olives
Keep wet additions relatively modest so the dough doesn’t become excessively wet.
NUT & ALLERGEN INFORMATION
Does this recipe contain nuts?
No.
The basic recipe contains no tree nuts or peanuts.
Potential allergens
The basic recipe contains:
Wheat/gluten — from bread flour
Milk — only if Parmesan or butter is used
The basic dough itself contains no dairy.
Is olive oil a nut oil?
No. Olive oil is made from olives, which are fruits, not tree nuts.
However, anyone with a serious allergy should check the specific product’s labeling and manufacturing information.
Is rosemary a nut?
No.
Is garlic a nut?
No.
Can I make it completely dairy-free?
Yes.
Simply omit the Parmesan and replace the finishing butter with olive oil.
Can I make it peanut-free?
Yes. The recipe itself contains no peanuts. For a severe allergy, use ingredients labeled appropriately for your allergy requirements and avoid cross-contact.
Approximate Nutrition
For 1 of 12 slices, using the basic recipe and olive oil but without Parmesan/butter:
Nutrient Approx. per slice
Calories 145–160
Carbohydrates 25–27 g
Protein 4–5 g
Fat 3–4 g
Saturated fat <1 g
Fiber ~1 g
Sugars ~1 g
Sodium ~280–330 mg
These are estimates. Actual nutrition varies according to flour, salt, oil, slice size and toppings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my bread as airy as the picture?
Usually one of these:
Too much flour was added.
The dough wasn’t allowed to rise sufficiently.
The yeast was inactive.
The dough was kneaded too aggressively after rising.
The oven wasn’t hot enough.
The bread was cut while still hot.
The biggest mistake is usually adding too much flour.
Why is my bread dense?
Check your yeast first.
If the dough barely increases in volume during the first rise, the yeast may be old or the environment may be too cold.
Also make sure you’re measuring flour by weight when possible.
Why didn’t my crust become crispy?
You need sufficient heat and moisture control.
A Dutch oven is particularly effective because it traps steam during the initial stage of baking.
Also allow the bread to cool on a rack rather than leaving it on the baking sheet.
Why did my garlic burn?
Fresh minced garlic can burn quickly at high temperatures.
For a gentler flavor, mix the garlic with olive oil first or use roasted garlic.
You can also add some of the fresh garlic during the final portion of baking rather than putting all of it on before the loaf goes into the oven.
Can I prepare the dough the night before?
Yes — highly recommended.
After kneading, place the covered dough in the refrigerator for 8–24 hours.
The slower fermentation develops significantly more flavor.
Can I freeze the bread?
Yes.
Allow the finished loaf to cool completely.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, or place it in a freezer-safe bag.
Freeze for up to approximately 2–3 months for best quality.
Thaw at room temperature and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for about 10–15 minutes.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes.
After the first rise, shape the dough, wrap it well and freeze.
For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then allow it to come toward room temperature before the final rise and baking.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes, but not by simply replacing the flour 1:1.
Use a good gluten-free bread flour/blend specifically formulated for yeast bread, preferably one containing a suitable binder such as psyllium husk or xanthan gum.
The texture will be different from the wheat version.
Can I make it sourdough?
Yes.
For a sourdough adaptation, replace the commercial yeast with approximately 100 g active sourdough starter and adjust the flour and water accordingly. Fermentation will take considerably longer, typically several hours depending on starter strength and room temperature.
Why did my loaf spread instead of rising upward?
The dough may have been:
over-proofed
too wet
insufficiently developed
shaped without enough surface tension
When shaping, gently create tension on the outer surface without squeezing out all the gas.
Can I make this in a loaf pan?
Yes.
A loaf pan will give you a taller, more uniform sandwich-bread shape rather than the rustic shape shown in your photograph.
What should I serve with it?
This bread is excellent with:
tomato soup
creamy soups
pasta
roasted chicken
grilled vegetables
scrambled eggs
salads
olive oil + balsamic vinegar
whipped herb butter
marinara sauce
It’s also excellent sliced and toasted.
My recommended version for the photo
For the closest result to your picture, I’d use:
Bread flour + olive oil + garlic + fresh rosemary + thyme + flaky sea salt + a little Parmesan, followed by a Dutch-oven bake at 450°F → 425°F.
