The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Creating a Drooling Zone

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ehanner

Creating a Drooling Zone

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Savory Hot-Crumb

This bread has the best aroma I have ever smelled. I was afraid the fragrance of rosemary and garlic would wake the family last night while it was baking. Really heavenly!

Last week I discovered that the things I liked about Mark's Kalamata and Pepper Jack Cheese loaf was the herb infused oil and the hot spicy bite you get from the cheese. I decided to try just using the elements that stand out, skipping the cheese and olives all together. Oh, then I thought I would add some crushed fresh garlic.

So, this is a rustic basic white bread with 40 g of olive oil infused with 1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary, 1-1/2 teaspoons dry French Thyme (Penzies), 1 heaping teaspoon of crushed red pepper run through the spice grinder to make it fine, and 1 large clove of garlic, crushed. I warm the oil in a custard cup for 25-30 seconds in the Microwave and let it set for a while. The oil mixture was added to the water in the final dough. I did subtract the weight of the oil from the water amount. This amount was for a batch of 3.2 Lbs or 2- 1.5+Lb loaves.

If you look at the close up shot you can see the flecks of red pepper that didn't get pulverized in my spice mill. I had hoped that I had over done the pepper and it would be way to hot for normal pallet tastes. But once again the heat of the pepper was subdued by the heat of baking .

I think next time I will roast a head of garlic and smush that up instead of using a single raw clove. The combination of Thyme, Rosemary and Garlic is a natural in many foods. Baked into any bread you have a crowd pleaser!

Eric

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

  I loved the look of your pepperjack loaf so much so I bought some pepperjack cheese last nite on the way home from my Grandkids.  My pantry is stuffed and I probably have everything else. It's been a long week of cooking and helping till their dad returns from a business trip.  Then I want to try some savory breads inspired by you and another member....also I hope to get in some  woodfired oven pizza going....my daughter loves rosemary breads. 

I especially like the infused oil's....I must get some going...I love cooking with olive oil's, herb and spices....so your savory breads really hits the spot.  Your baking is wonderful and I learn a lot and enjoy your posts. Sylvia

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Thank you Sylvia, I appreciate your kind words. Who wouldn't enjoy rosemary and thyme with garlic? All my favorites in one place. The oil gets quite a bit better with an overnight resting soaking the flavor from the herbs. Honestly the 2 I baked last night were so aromatic and rich I couldn't believe it.

Glad to hear you enjoy my putzing in the kitchen.

Eric 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Didn't read a word about you putzen, or cleaning in the kitchen.  But I could almost smell your bread baking.  Thanks for the oil tips, too.  I've seen they sell finely shredded chilies here...like threads.  Don't see too many herbs that I know.  While you're at it don't forget to put some up for the winter.  If I know you, there are more loaves to come!

Mini O

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Mini, you touched on my weakness. I make a mess in the kitchen and while I have a "clean as I go" style where I try to clean everything I use as soon as I don't knead it, there is flour on the floor and the counters are littered with my tools. Thankfully my loving wife has an appreciation for my activities and helps with the clean up. A bakery in the garage would be a better situation during the warm months. OR, follow Mark's lead and build a real bakery in the lower level. Now that's an idea!!

Mini,
While I sense your frustration in not being able to find things you are familiar with I'm wondering why you don't do a "While in Rome, do what the Romans do". If it were me I would be looking for a place to learn how to cook Asian foods the right way. There is so much to be learned from that culture in terms of spices and methods. I feel about the same way with oriental cooking as I used to with baking. I can muddle through the basics but the really good stuff is a mystery. C'monnn, be an apprentice in a noodle shop and I want pictures!

Eric 

Marni's picture
Marni

I wish we could email the scent! That sounds fabulous! 

A little off topic and hopefully not out of place... "putzing" has other meanings I believe and "putsen" is cleaning.  I think you might have meant "futzing" which is Yiddish (as is the first word) and means to mess around or fiddle with. 

Marni

ehanner's picture
ehanner

I'm definitely Futzing! Thank you.

Eric 

Janedo's picture
Janedo

Nice bread, Eric!!! Yes, I can smell that from here. I agree about the roasted garlic, a more subtle, mellow sweet garlicky taste. I love rosemary, anywhere, anytime. Your house would definitely have smelled like heaven.

Jane 

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Jane,
The way garlic changes when roasted is almost magic. I tried to add a little smoke last week while roasting a batch in the BBQ grill. I wrapped the heads in foil loosely and topped with oil and placed chunks of cherry wood over the heat bars. Any fruit wood would work as well I think. Really delicious and I'll bet it would be good in bread too.

Mark Sinclair taught me about warming the oil with herbs added. The oils in the herbs and garlic come out nicely. I have been doing that with garlic and olive oil for a Cesare Salad base and anywhere I wanted the garlic flavor in the oil.

Eric 

Janedo's picture
Janedo

I'll definitely try the infused oil. It would be so useful. A girlfriend of mine told me that she gets flavored vinegar by just adding homeade jam to it. Say, raspberry jam to red wine vinegar. She always gets compliments on it. OK, it doesn't have anything to do with bread, but I thought it was a great "trick".

Jane 

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Interesting idea. I wonder how it does over time? Adding sugar might encourage things to grow in time. You have to be aware of the botulisim that can occur when you add food to oil. Don't know much about it but there are certain things that should be avoided for long term storage even when canned hot.

But, raspberry jam in vinegar sounds very nice for salads.

What is your idea of the ultimate Bruchetta? (I may have spelled that wrong.) A thin slice of toasted bread with a tomato salad and special vinaigrette dressing? 

Eric 

Janedo's picture
Janedo

The jam goes in the vinegar only when it's being used. So, for instance, right now I have some duck breasts marinating for Sean's birthday dinner. It's vinegar and raspberry jam, olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic and some honey.

Well, in my blog I put one and it was very, very, paper thin slices of Serrano ham (I hate when it's thick), tomato and chèvre on rosemary-honey rustic bread, topped with roquette (rocket?). That's pretty much bruchetta heaven for me. But on your bread, there, I say OK!!!

Jane 

weavershouse's picture
weavershouse

This bread is awesome. I would love to taste it so I'll have to mark this recipe as yet another to get to one of these days. Do you ever sleep. You talk about baking during the day and you talk about baking through the night! Are you a robot Eric???  :o)                                                                       weavershouse

ehanner's picture
ehanner

You're funny weavershouse! Sometimes I wonder if I'm a little tooo obsessive about all this. But really for me it's about finishing the project at what ever the cost in sleep. Mostly I would say because I'm not baking commercially I need to learn to plan better and get things started earlier. Then of course the sourdough never cooperates at exactly the right time so things get stretched out and I end up baking at 1:30 AM.

This is the first loaf I have baked that smelled better than it tasted. It tastes great but OMG what an aroma. If you ever had a kiosk baking fresh bread in the mall, this would draw a crowd like bears to honey!

Eric

holds99's picture
holds99

Very nice bread and the flavorings sound most interesting, particularly the rosemary and garlic...love the smell of rosemary.  We have a large (make that very large)rosemary plant/bush in our yard and I use sprigs with pork roasts and inside the cavity when roasting chicken.  I'll have to try this bread, it sounds wonderful.

Howard - St. Augustine, FL

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Howard,
One thing about living in the Hurricane zone is that you can keep things growing year around. I have been moving a rosemary plant in and outside for a few years now and it has been providing me with all I need.

Unfortunately my wife decided that the plant was looking old and tired and thought it would be better to harvest and dry the stems. I'm sure it was miscommunication on my part and I have accepted all responsibility for the killing of the only live rosemary plant I have/had (grinning). I doubt the greenhouse shops here will have any to sell this time of year. It kills me to spend $3.95 for a few sprigs at the supermarket.

 

I like the chicken with rosemary too  and I toss a few cloves of garlic and lemon peels in for fun.

Eric 

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Last year I made a braided boule of Rosemary sweet egg bread 'the best way I can discribe it' and topped it with a sugar glaze and sprinkled the top of it with the lovely lavendar blue  flowers that blossom on the rosemary plant in march, april here...it was a birthday bread.....just another suggestion for using rosemary....nice served with a cup o tea.  I love the tiny flowers on some herbs...Sylvia