You can’t get much for free these days, but diners have been eating insane amounts of free rosemary bread at Macaroni Grill since the first one opened in Leon Springs, TX, in 1988. Founder Philip J. Romano decided to serve the bread so the restaurant would seem more like his Italian mother’s kitchen, and now it’s the standard welcoming bite at all 200 locations. Sure, a mall parking lot doesn’t exactly scream Italy, but Romano figured hot bread, along with an opera soundtrack and some jugs of wine on the table, would help diners feel a little closer to Tuscany.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 small loaves |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 387 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 227 mg |
Reviews
I’m not a bread baker but these made me feel like a pro
Dear Food Network, please specify whether it’s one 1/4 oz packet of yeast (which is a normal yeast packet) or 1.25 oz of yeast, which would be four packets (?!?!).
When I made it I used one packet (.25 oz) and it turned out nicely.
When I made it I used one packet (.25 oz) and it turned out nicely.
I have made this twice and I use a stand mixer to knead it. I am used to hand kneading but my hands won’t allow it anymore so I have a mixer to do the work. It rises nicely but when I go to break it down to 4 pieces it falls flat and doesn’t rise much again from there. I dont know what is going on. I have made this twice and it happens each time. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. They still come out tasty just not nice and full like yours and regular loaves.
I made this wonderful recipe a few years ago and will be making it again. FYI: I experimented in wrapping the baked loaves very well and placed them in the freezer. A month later, thawed them out and heated them up, they tasted exactly as if made that day.
So easy to make! The use of the stand mixer eliminated my hand kneading which makes it a breeze to put together. I used fresh rosemary from my yard. It’s an easy recipe to follow & turned out great! Next time I make a batch of these I will add some minced fresh garlic to the batter. Definitely a keeper!
Oh no, I’m in trouble! Love Macaroni Grill’s Rosemary Olive Oil bread. The recipe’s flavor is spot on, and it is so easy to make. I really appreciate all the helpful tips from reviewers such as the doubled fresh rosemary and making 2 loaves rather than 4. I used 1 packet active dry yeast plus 1/2 of another (because it needed to be used) and also used 1/3 cup EVOO (an idea borrowed from another recipe). A small pan of water was added to the oven for some steam while the bread baked. The crust is lightly golden brown with a slight crisp. I’ll definitely be making this again and again! This recipe is a keeper.
I made this Tuesday, now making it again Thursday. I make one round loaf. This is now my favorite bread recipe. The flavor is delicious. I use my bread maker to work the dough, I shape it and let it rise the second time on the counter. I have NEVER been so happy with a bread recipe. mswendykat
Good.
I am 13 and this was my first time making bread, I thought this recipe was fairly easy. I used fresh instead of dried rosemary and it turned out great! I thought it would be hard to get the bread to golden but it was incredibly easy and didn’t take long at all. I made two big loafs instead of 4 tiny ones so, forgetting that I should have doubled the baking time, I oiled them a little early and ended up over oiling them. This recipe was easy and tasty! 🙂
I would like advice on making this recipe for high altitude living.