Sourdough Rosemary Peasant Bread (Macaroni Grill Dupe)

After church on Sunday, my family used to pile into the local Macaroni Grill. I didn’t even care about my entree’, because what I really looked forward to was that warm basket of rosemary peasant bread the waiter carried out. The smell of rosemary filled the air, and one bite of that soft buttery loaf with crisp edges was pure comfort. I wanted to recreate that classic with a sourdough spin, so my Sourdough Rosemary Peasant Bread (Macaroni Grill Dupe) recipe was created.

This sourdough version brings that memory back to life- with a flaky, buttery crust, a pillowy center, and fresh rosemary sprinkled with sea salt over the top. Serve it warm with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the full Macaroni Grill nostalgia moment.

Why Use a Sweet Levain?

Milder flavor! The added sugar in the levain feeds the yeast while tempering the sourness of the sourdough. The sugar works to stabilize fermentation and works beautifully in enriched doughs.

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Tools You’ll Need:

1. Large Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer- for mixing the dough.
2. Digital Kitchen Scale (optional)– for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking.
3. Measuring Cups and Spoons- for smaller ingredients.
4. Whisk- for combining ingredients.
5. Bench Scraper (optional)- to help shape bread loaves.
6. 2 Soup Bowls- to proof the mini loaves.
7. Kitchen Towel- to cover the bread while proofing.
8. Parchment Paper- to line baking sheet.
9. Baking Sheet- to bake the bread.
10. Pastry Brush– to brush loaves with olive oil. You can also use a paper towel for this.

Gather Your Ingredients:

1. Sourdough Starter- used to feed your sweet levain the night before. You can also use fed sourdough starter to replace the sweet levain if you want to skip this step, just make sure it’s been fed and is at peak when you use it. Be aware regular sourdough starter may make the dough more sour.
2. White Sugar- used to feed the sweet levain for a less sour taste to the bread.
3. All-Purpose Flour- adds soft chew and structure for bakery-quality texture. You can also use bread flour as a substitute.
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil- gives richness and flavor and helps achieve that golden, soft crust.
5. Honey- a touch of sweetness that enhances browning and balances the salt. You can substitute the honey for granulated white sugar if you need.
6. Egg Yolk- adds color, tenderness, and softness.
7. Fresh Rosemary– infuses aroma and flavor throughout the loaf. You can use dried rosemary if you don’t have fresh.
8. Sea Salt– brings out every flavor and adds crunch to the crust.
9. Water- hydrates the dough.
10. Flaky Sea Salt (optional)- to garnish the tops of the loaves. I like to use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes linked here.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)

Baker’s Schedule: 8:00 PM Night Before

To start your dough, you’ll want to mix a sweet levain the night before. If this sounds intimidating, it’s not! It’s literally just adding sugar to your starter. This curbs the tang of the sourdough.

In a clean jar, mix your mother starter with the flour, water, and sugar. Give it a good stir, and allow it to rest at room temperature (optimally 73-75 degrees F). I like to mark the volume in my jar with a rubber band so it’s easy to asses the rise the next morning. When the sweet levain has doubled in size, it’s time to mix your dough.

Step 2: Mix the Dough

Wash and chop the fresh rosemary for the dough.

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sweet starter, olive oil, honey, water, and egg yolk. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together to combine.

Add the flour, salt, and rosemary to the dough. Mix the dough with your hands or with your stand mixer on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated. This dough is a little more sticky, but don’t worry! It’ll come together just trust the process.

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.

To complete a set of stretch and folds simply lift the dough at the edge, and fold it into the center. Repeat this step until you’ve formed a ball with your dough.

Let dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size, this takes about 6-7 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere. This proofing time is a general guide, this process may take longer the key is to assess when the dough has nearly doubled that’s when it’s ready to be shaped.

Overnight Fermentation: Once dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer cold ferment and shape and bake the loaves the next day.

Step 4: Shaping and Final Proof

Note: If refrigerating dough overnight, remove from refrigerator at this time and allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature to take off the chill.

Gather your 2 soup bowls, and spray them with cooking spray and flour them really well. You can also line the soup bowls with a lint-free towel and flour the towel well if you prefer. Either way, make sure you use plenty of flour so your dough doesn’t stick in the bowl.

Spray a clean work surface with cooking spray, and transfer your dough to the oiled surface. Cut the dough roughly in half, and shape little mini dough ballls.

Transfer the dough balls into the prepared soup bowls, and cover with a towel.

Allow the mini loaves to proof in the bowl for about 1 hour, they should puff up in the bowl about 50% in size.

Step 5: Bake the Bread

Preheat your oven to  400°F when your little loaves are ready to be baked.

Once the oven has pre-heated (it’s a good idea to wait till the oven is hot or the bread can lose shape), line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Dump the dough out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush the tops liberally with olive oil. Don’t be shy!

Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with more fresh rosemary.

Transfer the bread to the hot oven, bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is a beautiful golden color and the internal temperature is 205 F.

Remove the bread from the oven, and brush with more olive oil for the most soft and flaky crust. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt if desired.

Allow the bread to cool 15-20 minutes, and serve warm with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Yields 2 mini loaves

How to Store:

• Room Temperature- Store in an airtight bag for up to 2 days.
• Freezer- Freeze up to 1 month in an airtight bag; allow to thaw at room temperature, then reheat at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.

FAQ’S:

Can I make these ahead?

Yes! You can chill the dough overnight after bulk ferment, or refrigerate shaped bread in bowls overnight and proof and bake the next day.

Can I use dried rosemary?

Yes! Reduce the rosemary to 1 1/2 Tablespoons if using dried.

If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know! Happy baking!

Sourdough Rosemary Peasant Bread (Macaroni Grill Dupe)

Bring Macaroni Grill nostalgia home with this Sourdough Rosemary Peasant Bread (Macaroni Grill Dupe). Soft, fluffy, and aromatic with fresh rosemary and sea salt- this recipe is easy and beginner friendly, perfect for dipping in olive oil and balsamic as an appetizer or serving as a side with dinner.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Fermentation time 12 hours hrs

Servings 8

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl or stand mixer – for mixing the dough.
• Digital kitchen scale (optional) – for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking.
• Measuring cups and spoons – for smaller ingredients.
• Whisk – for combining ingredients.
• Bench Scraper (optional) – to help shape bread loaves.
• 2 Soup Bowls – to proof the mini loaves.
• Kitchen Towel – to cover the bread while proofing.
• Parchment paper – to line baking sheet.
• Baking Sheet – to bake the bread.
• Pastry brush – to brush loaves with olive oil. You can also use a paper towel for this.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Sweet Starter:

• ½ cup (100g) warm water
• ⅔ cup (100g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tbsp (20g) mother sourdough starter
• 2 tbsp (25g) white sugar

Dough:

• ½ cup (110g) sweet levain
• 3 tbsp (40g) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (20g) honey can substitute for white sugar
• 1 cup (225g) warm water (about 80°F)
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 Tablespoon dried rosemary) chopped
• 2 tsp (10g) sea salt

Topping:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing
• extra chopped rosemary
• Flaky sea salt for garnish

Instructions

 

Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)

• In a clean jar, mix your mother starter with the flour, water, and sugar. Give it a good stir, and allow it to rest at room temperature (optimally 73-75 degrees F). I like to mark the volume in my jar with a rubber band so it's easy to asses the rise the next morning. When the sweet levain has doubled in size, it's time to mix your dough.
  ½ cup (100g) warm water, ⅔ cup (100g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tbsp (20g) mother sourdough starter, 2 tbsp (25g) white sugar

Step 2: Mix the Dough

• Wash and chop the fresh rosemary for the dough.
  2 ½ tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 Tablespoon dried rosemary)
• In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sweet starter, olive oil, honey, water, and egg yolk. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together to combine.
  ½ cup (110g) sweet levain, 3 tbsp (40g) extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp (20g) honey, 1 cup (225g) warm water (about 80°F), 1 egg yolk
• Add the flour, salt, and rosemary to the dough. Mix the dough with your hands or with your stand mixer on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated. This dough is a little more sticky, but don’t worry! It’ll come together just trust the process.
  3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp (10g) sea salt

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

• Spray a clean bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.
• To complete a set of stretch and folds simply lift the dough at the edge, and fold it into the center. Repeat this step until you’ve formed a ball with your dough.
• Let dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size, this takes about 6-7 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere. This proofing time is a general guide, this process may take longer the key is to assess when the dough has nearly doubled that’s when it’s ready to be shaped.
• Overnight Fermentation: Once dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer cold ferment and shape and bake the loaves the next day.

Step 4: Shaping and Final Proof

• Note: If refrigerating dough overnight, remove from refrigerator at this time and allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature to take off the chill.
• Gather your 2 soup bowls, and spray them with cooking spray and flour them really well. You can also line the soup bowls with a lint-free towel and flour the towel well if you prefer. Either way, make sure you use plenty of flour so your dough doesn’t stick in the bowl.
• Spray a clean work surface with cooking spray, and transfer your dough to the oiled surface. Cut the dough roughly in half, and shape little mini dough ballls.
• Transfer the dough balls into the prepared soup bowls, and cover with a towel.
• Allow the mini loaves to proof in the bowl for about 1 hour, they should puff up in the bowl about 50% in size.

Step 5: Bake the Bread

• Preheat your oven to  400°F when your little loaves are ready to be baked.
• Once the oven has pre-heated (it’s a good idea to wait till the oven is hot or the bread can lose shape), line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Dump the dough out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush the tops liberally with olive oil. Don’t be shy!
  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with more fresh rosemary.
  extra chopped rosemary
• Transfer the bread to the hot oven, bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is a beautiful golden color and the internal temperature is 205 F.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and brush with more olive oil for the most soft and flaky crust. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt if desired.
  Flaky sea salt
• Allow the bread to cool 15-20 minutes, and serve warm with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Notes

Yields 2 Appetizer loaves

How to Store:

• Room Temperature- Store in an airtight bag for up to 2 days.
• Freezer- Freeze up to 1 month in an airtight bag; allow to thaw at room temperature, then reheat at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

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