Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This bread. So good! And easy! I made a little plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and seasonings to dip the bread into, and I felt like I was at Macaroni Grill. :) Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour (so dough forms a ball) + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.
2. In mixing bowl, stir together the 1 1/2 c. flour (adding more later if needed), salt, rosemary, seasonings, and olive oil. Add the bread yeast, sugar water when ready and mix stir until the dough forms a ball.  Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.
6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

When I made this, I did it in the morning to have ready for later in the day. After I let it rise for an hour, I put the dough in the fridge. Later I pulled it out and let it sit out a bit to rise a little after I formed the ball. Turned out great!

And here's a tip: I read that the internal temperature of bread should be about 190-200 degrees F, so I tested it with a thermometer before taking it out. Perfect!