Rosemary Flat Bread

Ingredients for Rosemary Flat Bread

• 600ml (375g /371 grams) Gold Medal "Better for Bread" flour*

• 30g (35g /35 grams) whole-wheat flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (also known as rapid-rise or bread machine yeast)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 350ml (350g /336 grams) water, room temperature (70 to 32°C)

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 60ml plus 20ml (60g /56 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

• Vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable-oil spray

• 2 tablespoons fresh whole rosemary needles

• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• *If unavailable, substitute 160g strong flour and 160g unbleached plain flour

• stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and dough hook, 3-quart or larger bowl or dough-rising container, masking tape, heavy baking sheet, baking stone or second heavy baking sheet, large aluminum-foil-lined cast-iron pan or heavy, rimmed baking pan

How to make Rosemary Flat Bread

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk together strong flour, whole-wheat flour, and yeast, then whisk in sea salt. Whisk in water, honey, and 60ml olive oil.

Attach dough hook to stand mixer and mix on low (#2 on Kitchen Aid) until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. (Dough should be very sticky to touch and should not pull away from bowl completely. However, if dough does not pull away at all, gradually beat in up to 60ml additional flour.)

Using vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable-oil spray, lightly oil 3-quart or larger bowl (or dough-rising container). Transfer dough to bowl and lightly oil or spray top of dough. Using tape, mark outside of bowl to approximately double current height of dough. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm place (24°C to 27°C, see Chef's Notes) 30 minutes. Using oiled hands, transfer dough to lightly oiled work surface. Gently stretch bottom of dough and fold up to centre, then repeat with left side, right side, and top. Round dough package then transfer to bowl, smooth side up, and lightly oil or spray top of dough. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until doubled in size and depression holds when pressed gently with fingertip, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Brush heavy baking sheet with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Transfer dough to sheet and, using fingertips, very gently press into 12-by 5-by 1/2-inch rectangle. Brush top of dough with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Lightly coat sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Cover dough with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size and depression very slowly fills in when pressed gently with fingertip, about 1 hour.

While dough is rising, position rack near bottom of oven and top with baking stone or heavy baking sheet. Set aluminum-foil-lined cast-iron pan or heavy rimmed baking pan on floor of oven and preheat oven to 246°C for 1 hour.

Using fingertips, deeply dimple dough all over. Sprinkle with rosemary, coarse salt, and pepper. Quickly transfer baking sheet to hot baking stone (see Chef's Notes) and add 120ml ice cubes to pan beneath.

Bake bread, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through, until top is golden brown and skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (instant-read thermometer inserted into centre will register about 99°C), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer bread from baking sheet to rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

•Dough rises best around 24°C to 27°C. If your house is on the cold side, you can set a container of very hot tap water near the rising dough and cover the dough and the hot water with a large plastic container or bowl-you will need to reheat the water every 30 to 40 minutes. Alternatively you can place the dough (and the small container of very hot water) in a microwave oven (not turned on) or a standard oven without a pilot light, but with the oven light turned on to provide gentle heat. •If you want to make this bread over a 2-day period, you can refrigerate it overnight after the first rise. Once it has doubled in size (first rise), gently press the dough down in the bowl, then transfer to a large, re-sealable freezer bag that's been coated with vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Leave a small end of the bag unsealed to allow for gas to escape during fermentation and refrigerate the dough overnight. The next day, bring the dough to room temperature at least 1 hour before shaping and baking the loaf. •For proper texture, it's important for the bread to get a blast of heat as soon as it goes into the oven. For this reason, the oven needs to be preheated for a full hour, and it's important not to let too much heat escape when you put the bread in. When transferring the dough to the oven to bake, be sure to shut the door quickly.

Flour: 100% Water: 70.6% Yeast: 0.81% Salt: 1.8% Oil: 1.1%

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.