Exquisite Rosemary Parmesan Cheese Bread
Super easy same-day rosemary parmesan bread that smells amazing! Best of all, it tastes as good as it looks.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 1 Loaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 Cups (390 g) Bread Flour
- 1 Cup (80 g) Parmesan Cheese (Plus extra for topping) grated. Roughly 80 grams
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Rosemary Minced. Fresh or dried.
- 2 1/4 Teaspoons (7 g) Instant Yeast 1 Packet
- 2 Teaspoons (2 Teaspoons) Kosher Salt
- 1 1/3 Cups (315.45 ml) Water
Instructions
- Mince the fresh rosemary and grate the parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, grated parmesan cheese, rosemary, and yeast together.
- Pour the warm water into the dry ingredients. Using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix until a shaggy dough forms. Keep mixing until all the flour is moistened.
- Knead the dough with your hands for five minutes until it forms a smooth ball and passes the windowpane test (see notes below). You can also knead the dough in your stand mixer.
- First Rise: Shape the bread dough into a ball. It will be slightly sticky. Place the dough ball into an oiled container and cover with plastic wrap. Set on the counter at room temperature to rise. The dough rise will take roughly three hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the container, and be full of air.
- Shaping The Dough Ball: Lightly dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour. Then, turn the dough onto the lightly floured surface. Tug the dough to shape it into a square/rectangle. Be careful not to degas the dough too much. Bring the opposite corners together until the dough forms a ball. Afterward, turn the dough over so that it is seam-side down. Build tension on the outside of the dough by pulling the outside of the dough underneath itself with your hands. Make sure to check my post for detailed pictures of shaping the dough.
- Once the dough is shaped into a nice, round, taught ball, transfer the dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Cover with an upside-down large bowl or damp tea-towel to prevent it from drying out. Let sit on the counter at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F. Make sure to place your Dutch oven into the oven while your oven is preheating.
- OPTIONAL parmesan topping: With wet hands, caress the top of the dough so that it is slightly wet. You can also use a spray bottle. Then, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top of the dough. You can also top with fresh herbs if desired.
- When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife, a bread lame, or kitchen shears, score the top of the dough in one line roughly ½ inch deep.
- Place the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the lid then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown.
- Allow for the loaf to sit on a cooling rack for 10-20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- My post has detailed step-by-step pictures. Make sure to go and check them out.
- Knead with your hands or use a stand mixer. If you use a stand mixer, make sure to knead with the dough hook attachment. Knead on medium-low speed.
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the dough ahead of time and bake it a couple of days later. The dough can sit in the fridge for up to three days. Simply cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge after the first rise.
- Flour: I prefer the use of bread flour for this recipe over all-purpose flour. The bread flour will give a better chew and texture to the loaf.
- Windowpane Test: You'll know when to stop kneading once the dough has passed the windowpane test. To perform this, simply take a piece of the dough. If you can stretch it and see through it without the dough tearing, you are done kneading the dough.
- No Dutch oven? You can use a roasting pan instead. You can also bake the loaf on a pizza stone or a baking sheet.
- To Store: You can store this bread in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. For longer storage, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
