I don’t know how it happened.
But, somehow I blinked, and years passed without me making homemade yeast bread.
Years!!!!
Not only does this mean I’m getting olllllllldddddddd.
Sob!
But it also means that I must have temporarily lost my sanity!
After all, I absolutely LOVE homemade bread. And when I say absolutely, I mean every single, little thing about it: the kneading, the aroma, and especially the taste.
The weirdest part is that I used to make it all the time.
All. The. Time.
It was seriously a staple in my weekend routine. In fact, back when I was in high school and college, I would make loaves upon loaves of homemade bread for me and my dad. I’d even get special requests from my extended family to make it for Thanksgiving.
So, what happened?!?
I think losing my dad and moving across the country changed my routine so completely, that somehow — though still beyond sane comprehension — baking bread fell by the wayside.
Well, thankfully, the other day the hubs sent me a picture of a gorgeous loaf of rosemary bread he saw while at the market (see how well he knows me and my utter obsession for all things rosemary??).
After wiping away my drool, the thought suddenly struck me like a ton of bricks:
Hellloooooooooooooo, why not make your own nommy rosemary bread?? In fact, why not take it to the next level and add Kalamata olives, too! After all, you still dream about those Rosemary Kalamata Muffins!
I was immediately reminded of how mouth-wateringly amazing homemade bread smells, and I was on a mission. I speed-dialed the hubs and told him to pick up some yeast STAT.
And the very next morning, this incredible little beauty was born.
Einkorn Kalamata Rosemary Bread
(Yields 1 loaf)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
- 1 T date sugar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cups whole grain einkorn flour (Stay tuned for my full review of this yummy whole grain coming soon!)
- 1/2 cup whole grain bread flour
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 20 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, date sugar, and sea salt. Let this mixture stand for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. (This is super fun to watch!!)
When the yeast is ready, stir in the olive oil, rosemary, and 1 cup of the einkorn flour. Then, stir in the remaining flours a bit at a time to form a soft dough.
Fold in the Kalamata olives.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (about ten minutes, if kneading by hand). If the dough is too sticky, add a few tablespoons of extra flour as needed.
Place the dough in a large bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Turn the dough once to grease the top.
Cover with a damp, clean cloth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Remove the dough from the bowl. Punch the dough down, and then knead it for about 30 seconds.
Shape the dough into a large, round loaf. Place the loaf on a large, greased baking sheet.
Score a shallow X into the center of the loaf. Sprinkle with a bit of extra chopped rosemary and sea salt, if desired.
Cover the loaf and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled (about 40 to 60 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire wrack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
We even dipped ours in a bit of extra virgin olive oil. NOM! NOM! NOM!
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