Let's bake this rustic garlic rosemary bread in the Dutch oven for golden, crispy crust & a soft crumb! Fresh rosemary, a whole head of roasted garlic, and a touch of garlic powder give this loaf rich flavor without tasting overpowering or bitter.
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My Cozy Rosemary Garlic Bread for Slow Afternoons
When I want a loaf that's flavorful enough to serve on its own, I bake this Dutch oven rosemary garlic bread. It's the kind of loaf you want to tear and dunk into olive oil & balsamic vinegar, or slather with kalamata olive compound butter for a Tuscan-inspired afternoon.
Baking artisan bread with garlic is tricky since it can add a harsh or bitter flavor, usually from burning. And if it's added too early in a recipe, it can slow yeast activity. To avoid that, I use a combination of mild garlic powder plus roasted garlic cloves mixed with olive oil to prevent it from burning. And in recipe testing, I found that roasting the garlic makes it taste less pungent than raw garlic but more flavorful than garlic-infused oil, thanks to caramelization of natural sugars.
And while some bread doughs can have garlic & herbs mixed in at the beginning (like my crusty parmesan rosemary bread) this loaf gets a better rise when it's added halfway through kneading, after gluten has started to develop, due to the olive oil.
Let's Gather Our Ingredients: garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, all purpose flour, active dry yeast, water, rosemary, and garlic powder.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let's Bake Bread!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tips for Baking Flavorful Bread
- Prep: I always sprinkle a little flour or cornmeal on my parchment paper to prevent the bottom of my loaf from burning or sticking.
- Rosemary: I found fresh rosemary doesn't compete for hydration as much as dried rosemary in the dough, which can cause the dough to tighten up.
- Olive Oil: I tested this loaf with butter versus olive oil mixed in the garlic paste, and the oil was a winner since it has a higher roasting temperature than butter, and no milk solids to burn.
Rosemary Garlic Bread in the Dutch Oven
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Paste
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- salt and black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
Rosemary Garlic Bread
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1½ cups warm water (between 105°F and 110°F)
Instructions
Make the Garlic Paste
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the top ½-inch off the head of garlic to expose the cloves inside. Remove any of the loose papery skin, but leave the whole bulb intact.
- Place the head of garlic cut-side-up on a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the olive oil on top slowly, allowing it to seep down in between the cloves. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Wrap the garlic tightly in the aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the garlic cloves are tender and golden.
- Cool for a few minutes, then squeeze the bottom of the garlic bulb so the cloves pop out into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the chopped rosemary and garlic powder, and mash it with a fork until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
Make the Bread Dough
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, active dry yeast, and salt.
- Add the warm water and mix until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough for about 3 minutes inside the mixing bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, spread out the dough in a rectangle, then spread the roasted garlic paste on top. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter) then continue kneading for another 3-5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or dinner plate and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in size, after about 2 hours.
Shape & Bake the Bread
- On a clean surface, shape the bread into a ball and create tension by gently pushing the top of the dough from the center, down the sides, and underneath.
- Place the dough in a proofing basket or shallow bowl lined with a kitchen towel & dusted with a little flour. Cover with a towel & allow it to proof for 30 minutes.
- While the dough proofs, place a Dutch oven with the lid on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Transfer the proofed loaf to a large piece of parchment paper sprinkled with a little flour or cornmeal. Remove the hot Dutch oven from the preheated oven and carefully transfer the dough by the corners of the parchment paper into the Dutch oven. Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crispy.
- Allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Rosemary: I prefer to add one tablespoon of fresh rosemary to ensure it's in every bite. However, if you don't want a pronounced herb flavor, reduce it to 2 teaspoons or use dried rosemary which is less potent.
- Garlic Paste: You can prep the garlic paste ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days. Or double or triple the recipe and use it in other dishes like pasta!
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)