I can live without chocolate, but I can’t live without bread. It is one of the great joys of a meal as far as I’m concerned. Now, because of changes in our food choices, I am trying to experiment with different types of flour in my bread baking. These garlic and rosemary baguettes are excellent. King Arthur has a white whole wheat flour that I wanted to try. It is milled from hard white Spring wheat – a lighter colored grain than traditional red wheat which yields milder-tasting baked goods. Because this bread recipe also has an abundance of garlic and rosemary in it, the lighter but healthy white whole wheat flour is a bonus.
But what I was most excited about, and inspired me to make this bread, was the free printable French bread wrappers that I found on Heather Bullard/ Lifestyle blog. She is a contributing editor to Country Living Magazine and found the script sheets while traveling in France. A big thank you to her for making them available. They make a pretty presentation if you bake loaves to give to friends and family.
The original bread recipe came from a blog called Good Life Eats. I changed the flours, but kept the garlic and rosemary. This is a very garlic heavy bread, so if you are not a great fan, you can reduce the number of cloves. It makes a convincing looking baguette but tastes more like a conventional homemade bread.
The rustic loaves make great sandwiches and are a great accompaniment to spaghetti.
GARLIC AND ROSEMARY BAGUETTES
2 cups warm tap water, about 110 degrees
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 3/4 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup flour for dusting the loaves
Cornmeal for the pans
2 small cookie sheets or a large (at least 11×17-inch) jelly roll pan
In the bowl of a food mixer, mix the water with the yeast. Allow to ferment for about 10 minutes. Once the yeast is bubbly add the olive oil, 2 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the white whole wheat flour, garlic, rosemary and salt. With a dough hook gently mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Mix on medium for about 5 minutes to knead the ingredients together. If dough is too moist add a little more of the all-purpose flour.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Leave to rise for 2 hours.
To shape loaves, scrape risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it to deflate it. Divide dough in half and shape one piece at a time. Press dough into a square, then roll it up tightly. Rotate cylinder of dough 90 degrees and roll up again from short end. Arrange dough seam side down, cover with plastic or a towel and let it rest of 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining piece of dough.
Dust pan with cornmeal. Roll each piece of dough under palms of your hands to elongate it. Work from middle of loaf outward, pointing the ends slightly. Place loaves seam side down on cookie sheets and dust each loaf heavily with flour, using about 1/4 cup in all. Cover with plastic or a towel and allow to rise until doubled.
About 30 minutes before you intend to bake the loaves, preheat oven to 500 degrees F and set racks at the middle and lowest levels. Set a pan on the lowest rack to absorb some of the excess bottom heat and keep the bottom of the loaves from burning.
Holding a razor blade or the point of a very sharp knife at a 30-degree angle to the top of each loaf, make 3 to 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf. Immediately place loaves in oven and lower temperature to 450 degrees F. After loaves have baked for 20 minutes and are completely risen, lower temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking about 20 to 30 minutes longer, until bread reaches an internal temperature of about 210-220 degrees F. Remove loaves from oven and cool on a rack.
Your bread looks and sounds delicious Penny – two of my favorite flavors.
I have so much rosemary that it is nice to have a great use for it. Thanks Larry.
I was just about to ask where you got those adorable French wrappers when you answered the question for me. Wow, what a pretty presentation and your house must smell divine too.
Sam
Sam, I just love the wrappers. That’s why I made the bread. We have been limiting our carb intake.
Well Penny, for one thing, I’d certainly wrap a loaf of this divine bread up, put it in a pretty basket with a welcome note and leave it on Nathalie’s porch! That way you won’t be in her space, but a nice landlord/neighbor.
Or a lovely sweet bread…everyone loves a treat in the morning.
You made me laugh because my daughter is here and we made shrimp and grits last night for a future posting. 🙂
Wish I had thought of that Barbara. I did send up slices of blueberry galette. It was a pleasure to meet Nathalie.
I love good bread. I will have to give your recipe a try. Love that bread bowl.
I love my bread bowl/ salad bowl. It was handmade by an artisan in Virginia. Thanks Madonna. Hope you are better.
Sounds great!
I have TJoes white whole wheat and garlic and rosemary:)
Thanks for sharing..I love those wrappers from HB..I always have a few in reserve to tie a gift bread.
Somehow I knew that you probably all ready had those wrappers Monique. LOL.
Penny, that looks wonderful! Kent and I started a low carb diet a week ago, and now I want to break the diet just to have this bread!
Good for you Penny. We try to limit how much bread we eat. Most of this went into the freezer for when we have company. David down 12 lbs., me 5.
Hi Penny, your bread looks perfectly baked, love the wrappers to, such a great touch.
Thanks Cheri. I love how the bread looks and tastes. The wrappers are just window dressing, but well worth it.
Your loaves are beautiful, Penny, all wrapped up in those lovely French wrappers. Even without the wrappers they look so professionally baked. Garlic and rosemary – bring it on!
I agree Susan. I am planning on taking a class from a real French baker, so am looking forward to making a real French baguette.
Penny—this sounds wonderful. Thanks for the link and for the printable. I’m going to make a few loaves for the family. I miss making bread and with the temps dropping, it’s a great idea. And I LOVE garlic! 🙂
Jane x
Hi Jane. The temps are dropping in NC also. Hope you like the bread. We may be traveling when you make your next trip here.
Thank you, Penny for the bread recipe and the fabulous French Wrappers! What lovely gifts these will make.
I love the wrappers Barbara. I know you will too. Thank you.
Can u please tell me whether I can use dried rosemary
Yes. Anything that you have. If you use dried rosemary, use less.
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