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.
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
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!