macaroni grill rosemary bread

When I was in fourth grade, my mom used to pay me $10 a week to bake this bread for her. This bread tastes exactly like the bread they serve at the Macaroni Grill. We used to go there all the time, and when I taste this bread, I remember the crayons, the paper tablecloths, and the random opera soundtrack that is unique to the restaurant.

This bread has a delicious, rosemary aroma and subtle, crunchy saltiness from the coarse salt. I always serve this bread with dipping oil — olive oil, black pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

With love,

Erica

Ingredients

*Makes 2 loaves

1 tablespoon instant yeast or 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 3/4 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary, chopped and divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Coarse salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric stand mixer if you have one), combine the yeast, sugar and water. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture stand until foaming and bubbly, about 5 minutes. If using instant yeast, proceed with the recipe.
Add two cups of the flour, salt and 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary. Mix. Continue adding flour, gradually, until a soft dough is formed. Judge the dough based on texture and feel versus how much actual flour you’ve had to add based on the recipe. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch but should hold it’s shape while still being soft and smooth. Knead the dough by hand or with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, adding additional flour only if the dough is overly sticky and not clearing the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 1-2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Once doubled, gently deflate the dough and divide in half. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, a silpat liner or lightly grease with cooking spray. Shape the dough into two smooth, oval shaped loaves and place them on the baking sheet, one on each half of the tray so they have room to rise and bake without touching. Use a brush to slather the melted butter over the top of the loaves. Continue brushing on the butter until it is gone (the loaves will be well-saturated). Sprinkle the remaining chopped rosemary over the top of the loaves, patting down gently to set into the dough, if needed. Cover the loaves with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise again until puffy and nearly doubled, about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the loaves. Bake the loaves for 18-20 minutes until browned and baked through. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

11 thoughts on “macaroni grill rosemary bread”

Erika October 3, 2012 at 4:48 pm

Bahaha I just have to laugh because:

a) I just posed a question in today's blog post that this is the perfect answer to
b) This looks so INCREDIFREAKING GOOD and of course you would have the recipe for the best restaurant bread ON EARTH
c) That is so cute that your mom paid you to make bread!! Talk about best money-making job ever as a kid!

All in all, winning post, I think 🙂
1. Cannella Vita October 3, 2012 at 9:49 pm
  
  Thanks so much Erika! What was your question in today's blog post? (I couldn't find it)
2. Erika Kwee October 4, 2012 at 3:43 pm
  
  Oh whoops. It was "Do you have any healthified (or not) restaurant-inspired dishes you make at home?"
  
  THIS IS STILL AMAZING.
3. Cannella Vita October 4, 2012 at 8:50 pm
  
  Perfect!
Erika October 3, 2012 at 4:48 pm

Also. Definitely pinning this!
The Cooking Actress October 3, 2012 at 5:13 pm

AH! THAT BREAD! Soooo deliciousssss
1. Cannella Vita October 3, 2012 at 9:50 pm
  
  Thank you!
Maral October 6, 2012 at 11:49 pm

Wow, that bread looks delicious! I love rosemary and actually have a huge, prospering plant of it in my garden at home. This looks like a great way to use it. Thanks for sharing the awesome recipe.

I hope you can stop by my blog sometime soon!
Your fellow teen blogger,
Maral

http://www.letslivelavida.blogspot.com
1. Cannella Vita October 7, 2012 at 4:43 pm
  
  Thank you so much! I have a rosemary plant in my kitchen that I absolutely adore! It is a great garnish for this bread. However, I find that this bread is best when made with dried rosemary because the flavor is more concentrated. An idea to use up that delicious fresh rosemary is to make rosemary infused olive oil — it is great on salads etc.
Anonymous October 8, 2012 at 7:21 am

thanks for sharing..
Erika - The Teenage Taste October 17, 2012 at 12:02 am

OHMYGOSH, I am obsessed with Macaroni Grill rosemary bread! I went there a few weeks ago and probably ate an entire loaf by myself…haha it's so good! Definitely going to make this -great recipe!

Comments are closed.