No-Knead Rosemary Sea Salt Bread
Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and safe. As most of us are still staying home or cautiously coming out of lockdown, folks are still baking bread. I wish I could say I have been baking bread as much as the world but I did manage to make one loaf of bread in the now 15 weeks I’ve been home. This No-Knead Rosemary Sea Salt Bread is the one bread I’ve baked in 4 months of sheltering in place.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been baking almost weekly but just not bread. I’ve made banana bread, lemon olive oil loaf, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry pie, and even banana foster cheesecake. All sweet things as that are what I’ve been craving as comfort food lately. Baking bread just doesn’t give me that calming effect or relief others get from it.
However, if there is one bread I would bake during this time, it is my favorite rosemary olive oil bread. It is a favorite from my local Wegmans grocery store and a few years ago I replicated it and shared it on the blog. To this day, it remains one of my top recipes. You all love it so much! And I get the most questions and compliments in my inbox for that recipe.
Since you are all baking bread and I have limited time to respond to emails while working from home with two kids under 5, I’ve decided to answer some of your popular questions in a new post. I also tweaked the method of the original recipe to incorporate what you have been asking for the most.
The result? A salty herb-filled bread that is soft on the inside with the light crunchy outside we all love in homemade bread.
Here are the answers to some of your questions:
Do I need a mixer to make this recipe?
No, you don’t. I’ve adapted the recipe to be a no-knead recipe. So all you need is a bowl and a spatula. It is the simplest bread you will ever make but also the best!!
Do I need to use bread flour?
You don’t have to if you don’t have it. I know flour is a delicate commodity these days, so use what you have. The recipe below uses some bread flour but you can substitute it with all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. It works!
Can I bake this in a dutch oven?
Yes, you can! I have tested the recipe for you in a dutch oven since a lot of you have been asking. The original rosemary olive oil bread recipe was baked on a baking sheet as that is what I had back in my grad school days, circa 2014…no fancy dutch oven or pizza stone. I’ve since grown and have learned how to bake bread in dutch ovens. You will love the crusty top it provides to this loaf.
Do I need to use the rosemary or sea salt?
No, you don’t. Those are optional. They are just an amazing flavor combo that I love and it always pairs well with our Sunday spaghetti dinner. But you can leave them out. Use this recipe as a basic no-knead dutch oven bread recipe and skip the rosemary, sea salt, and black pepper.
There you have it, another easy no-knead bread recipe for you. Even easier than the original.
If I’ve missed any of your questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I am so glad you enjoy making bread and experimenting with my recipe in your kitchen.
Stay well, my friends!
No Knead Rosemary Sea Salt Bread
This rosemary sea salt bread is savory, a carb lover delight that is soft on the inside with a golden crunchy crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup bread flour + more for kneading (you can use more all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour)
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to proof.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, rosemary, black pepper, and salt. Add the yeast mixture together with the olive oil. Mix until just combined and the dough starts to form.
- Cover the dough with a towel and place it in a warm area and let rise slowly, at least 10 to 12 hours or overnight. It will rise and fall several times. The longer it sits, the tangier the bread.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Form into a round loaf. You don't need to overwork the dough, just loosely shape it into a round ball. Place the dough on parchment paper. Cover the loaf with a damp towel and let rise for another 45 minutes.
- About 30 minutes into the dough rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, place a dutch oven into the oven to heat up. You can also use a pizza stone or pizza pan.
- Once the dough has risen, Using a sharp knife, cut two to three slices across the top of the loaf. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Carefully transfer loaf with parchment on the bottom in the preheated dutch oven. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then remove the lid and bake until top is golden brown and is hollow when tapped, about 15 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven and let cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- If you would like a kneaded dough, you can hand knead or use a dough hook to knead for 5-7 minutes. Let dough rise for the first rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
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So I’ve tried this bread recipe . The dough was extremely wet and sticky. I put it in a warm place to raise(80*) overnight 12 hours. I continued to follow the instructions but when it came time to score the loaf it was still wet and sticky. Is that normal? Anyway, I baked it- such a teeny loaf! . And it tasted DELICIOUS! I will try again but would appreciate feedback regarding the sticky dough.
Hello, I would like to make this bread. Will instant yeast work in place of active dry yeast ?
Also, will dry Rosemary work instead of fresh ?
Thank You !
Anusha, yes instant yeast should work. Dried rosemary will as well.
This was so good! We ate the entire loaf in a few days and I will have to make more, it’s that good! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Sarah for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed this loaf 🙂 I need to try to it with tomatoes as you did.
When I bake bread in a Dutch oven for 30 min covered, 10 min. uncovered, it is always scorched on the bottom but the rest is perfect. Is there any way to avoid a burnt bottom?
Also, your recipe uses only 2 cups flour – does that make a really tiny loaf? Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thank you!
I tend to bake my bread with a parchment liner under the loaf. It helps with the burning. You could also try reducing your oven temperature. It could be running too hot. Try using an oven thermometer to do a test. yes, the loaf isn’t too big, medium-sized I would say but you can increase the recipe if you’d like a large loaf.
It says raise is 2 hours.
Then in instructions states 10 to 12 hour or overnight. I am confused. Which one is it.
It can be either but I will clarify in the instructions. If you can leave it longer, that is preferable but you can let it rise for 2 hours or until the dough doubles.
This was great! I don’t have much experience with bread making and this could not have been more user friendly! I didn’t have a Dutch Oven, so I baked it on a sheet (with a little steam to start in the over). It came out soft and airy inside with a good crust outside. Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s wonderful to hear!! I am the same, I am not much of a bread maker myself and love these easy recipes.
I know the Wegman’s bread you mentioned and can’t wait to try this. By any chance do you know how to make the
Wegmans Garlic Herb bread that is usually sold right next to the Olive oil bread at Wegmans? It looks to be a similar shape and probably a similar recipe but I have just not been able to replicate it. It is so light and fluffy but has a delicious crunchy exterior and fantastic flavor that I can’t figure out. I’m hoping you have or have some ideas how I could do so.
Thank you!!
JB
Hi JB! I’m so glad you know the Wegman’s bread that this recipe is trying to replicate. the rosemary olive oil bread is so so good there. I have never tried the garlic herb bread but I think you can probably try adapting this recipe or the original one I linked that is baked in the loaf form. I would think the garlic bread has roasted garlic and your choices of herbs (maybe rosemary and/thyme). finely mince the roasted garlic and the herbs and add it in the step I have here where the rosemary goes in. also right before baking maybe brush the loaf with some light olive oil and then add some more garlic on top?? You make me want to try it now!! I’ll let you know if I have any luck 🙂
Haha I’ve also only made ONE loaf of bread this whole quarantine. I just can’t get into sourdough starters and feel like it’s too late since I have to go back to work for real tomorrow. I can’t have ANOTHER baby to take care of lol. But this rosemary loaf sounds fantastic. Such a great flavor for bread.
Hahaha, I am so glad it is not just me lol! Yeah, sourdough sounds like so much work. I’ll support a local business instead 😛
Yum! Definitely making it this weekend!
Let me know how it turns out!
This looks amazing! I love baking, but yeast bread has always terrified me. This looks like the perfect gateway recipe to get me started 🙂
It is a great one to start with!! Hope you try it.