I'm starting to really love Food Network's "Almost-Famous" recipes. They're basically copycat recipes from restaurants. I've made three so far, Chi-Chi's Chimichanga, Cinnabon's Cinnamon Buns and this insanely delicious rosemary bread which is supposed to taste like Macaroni Grill's rosemary bread. I've never been to Macaroni Grill, we don't have that restaurant in Canada, and I've never eaten at one in the States, so I can't tell you if it tastes anything like the real thing. According to the fantastic reviews on the Food Network site, however, it tastes exactly like the real thing.
I made this bread last night to go along with a pasta dish I was having for supper. The recipe makes 4 small loaves which sounded like a lot to me, and I almost halved the recipe. I'm so glad I didn't as between the four of us, we ate almost all four of the loaves. I think there's maybe half of a loaf left, if that. Don't halve this recipe, trust me, the bread will get eaten.
I used my bread machine on the dough setting and as always, it worked beautifully. The dough was a bit sticky, but I just floured my workspace well, and my hands, and it was fine. After coming out of the bread machine and formed into balls, the loaves rose uncovered for another 2 hours and then were baked for about 18-20 minutes. They are quite hard when they come out of the oven but will soften as they cool. And when you take them out of the oven halfway through the baking time to brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, work quickly! The olive oil soaks immediately into the bread and you want the kosher salt and rosemary to stick.
I served these with two dipping oils - olive oil and black pepper and olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This is a perfect dipping bread and an incredible recipe.
I'm already thinking of an excuse to make them again.
Enjoy!
Almost-Famous Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
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1 cup water (divided if making by hand - if using bread machine put full cup in machine)
1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tsp. sugar
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving (divided)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 T dried rosemary (divided)
1 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)
Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.*
*I used my bread machine on the dough setting for all of the above and it worked great.
Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.**
**I didn't go to all that trouble making them into balls (turning, tucking, flipping with a spatula, etc.). I was easily able to form each piece into a ball. The dough is very easy to work with, it practically formed a ball by itself.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary (work very quickly when you do this). Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes.*** Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.
***Watch the time, your bread may be done a minute or two early, you don't want to overbake them.
Makes 4 small round loaves of bread.
Source: Food Network Magazine
