Rosemary Braided Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when braided bread is done? ›

After 35 minutes of baking, check the internal temperature of the loaf with your Thermapen ONE. If the lowest temp you see is 195–200°F (91–93°C), the bread is done. Let the bread cool before slicing, then serve and enjoy!

An easy bread recipe for beginners, it's lush with the fruity, earthy taste of olive oil, aromatic with rosemary and garlic, and when you pull a loaf freshly from the oven, you'll feel like you just won the lottery.

You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf). The steam and heat from the water will help the temperature rise just enough that the yeast is active. The steam will also assist in keeping the surface of the dough moist so it will stretch as it rises.

Adding dry milk powder to your bread dough will help your loaf rise higher. In addition, the loaf will stay soft and hold moisture longer which again means it will last longer. It also helps brown the crust. If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread.

Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.

What bakers call the “poke test” is the best way to tell if dough is ready to bake after its second rise. Lightly flour your finger and poke the dough down about 1". If the indent stays, it's ready to bake. If it pops back out, give it a bit more time.

You can use fresh--indeed, I prefer fresh. If you're using a recipe that calls for dried herbs, use at least twice as much of the fresh to account for shrinkage the herb would have undergone during drying. What makes homemade bread spread out rather than rise when baking?

Some of the better varieties for cooking include Benenden Blue, Flora Rosa, Tuscan Blue, Majorca Pink, Arp, Albiflorus, Huntington Carpet, McConnell's Blue, Irene, Holly Hyde and Hill Hardy, to name a few.

Thyme and sage are good substitutes for rosemary. Other options include marjoram and oregano which all fall under the same mint family. If you have italian seasoning, that is also a good substitute as rosemary is often included in the mix.

Baking with oil not only requires less work, and results in fewer dirty dishes, than butter, but it also produces tender, moist baked goods that get better with age and boast an impressively long shelf-life.

Can you let bread rise too long? ›

Yes you can. It's a very useful thing to do if you want fresh bread or rolls in the morning. Leave it in the fridge so it doesn't rise (prove) too quickly. If bread is over proved it will collapse.

The more yeast, the more gas is produced and the more quickly your dough rises. You may therefore think it best to add more yeast if you'd like to get your dough to rise as quickly as possible. However, whilst your dough may rise quickly, the dough will likely have less flavour and may even taste slightly of yeast.

There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.

Formally known as sodium bicarbonate, it's a white crystalline powder that is naturally alkaline, or basic (1). Baking soda becomes activated when it's combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid. Upon activation, carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked goods to rise and become light and fluffy (1).

Smooth Dough – The dough will start out looking like a shaggy, lumpy mass and will gradually smooth out as you knead. By the time you finish, it should be completely smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. 2. Holds Its Shape – Lift the ball of dough in your hand and hold it in the air for a second.

An easy way is to hold the dough with one hand and stretch it out over the work surface with the other, then bring it back to a ball and repeat with the other hand. Keep kneading until it has a smooth texture and can be stretched without tearing – this typically takes 10 minutes.

You can be extra-sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the top or side registers 210°F. Cool and slice the bread. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.