Learn how to make this super easy rosemary garlic bread baked in a Dutch oven! Zero kneading of the dough or technical baking skills are required. Yet the final results are full of savory flavor from fresh rosemary and garlic, with a golden crispy outer crust.
Breadmaking can be very time-consuming and technical. Thankfully, this rosemary garlic bread is neither of those things!
If you’re like me and don’t like to do super-involved bread recipes, then this one is for you. It has a delicious flavor from fresh rosemary, garlic and a perfectly golden crust.
This is a beginner’s bread recipe at best – for those who want homemade bread without the fuss. But it’s also the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket when you need a killer homemade bread recipe in a pinch! It’s a bread you and your guests will return for seconds and thirds.
Key Ingredients
The best part about breadmaking is the ingredients are typically few, and (most of the time) I have everything on hand! Below, you’ll find the list of what you need.
Bread flour—I recommend bread flour for this loaf because of its higher protein level and ability to produce more gluten. This results in a perfect rise in the bread and a chewier texture. It’s not essential, but it’s recommended. You can easily swap for all-purpose flour, too!
Instant yeast – this yeast needs no time for activation, making it perfect for easy preparation.
Water – room temperature water is used as the liquid for the bread.
Honey – to add a hint of sweetness and flavor, this also helps feed the yeast while the bread rises.
Salt – for flavoring the dough. You can’t have good flavored bread without salt!
Rosemary – fresh rosemary is what gives this recipe herbaceous flavor. I highly recommend fresh herbs for bright flavor versus dried rosemary.
Garlic – fresh garlic adds a beautiful, savory flavor to this loaf. I do not recommend swapping for garlic powder because the flavor is less potent.
How to Make Rosemary Garlic Bread
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1
Mix the dry ingredients, then water. In a large bowl, mix together everything except the water and honey. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add the water and honey. Use a rubber spatula to stir together, or your hands until everything comes together. Then cover with plastic wrap or dish towel, and set in a warm place to rise for 3 hours.
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2
After it rises. Once the dough is doubled in size, gently transfer the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Use a scraper and well-floured hands to gently form into a ball, then carefully transfer to a sheet of parchment paper.
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3
Form the dough. Being very careful to not knock air out of the dough, use your hands to gently form it into a loaf shape. Keep flour close by for dusting flour where you need to if the dough is sticking.
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4
Transfer and bake. Once the loaf is formed, use the edges of the parchment paper to transfer the dough into a dutch oven pot. Cover it with a lid, and bake at 450F covered for 30 minutes, then carefully uncover it and bake for another 10 minutes. It should be golden brown on the top and sound hallow when you knock on it. Let it cool for 20 minutes, then slice and serve!
Why we love Dutch ovens for bread baking
I used my Dutch oven for so many meals! For soups, stews, and even breads such as this recipe. This heavy cast iron pot retains heat very quickly and steams the bread while it bakes to create a crusty golden outer crust! Getting these delicious results cannot be accomplished by baking the bread open in the oven unless you steam-bake it (see tips below).
Recipe Tips
If you don’t have a Dutch oven. This recipe can also be made on a baking sheet but with another pan below it that has boiling water to steam the crust while it bakes. This helps attain a crispy crust without using a Dutch oven!
Freeze it. This bread freezes beautifully if you have leftovers or want to save it for another time. Place it in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag and freeze for 1-2 months. When ready to reheat, splash it with a little water, wrap it with foil, and heat it at 375F for 25-30 minutes.
More herbs you can use. Instead or in addition to rosemary, you can also use fresh sage or thyme!
Fresh ingredients give more flavor. For the garlic and rosemary, it’s essential to use fresh garlic and herbs to get the most intense flavor into the bread. I would not recommend substituting garlic powder or dried herbs for this recipe!
Always lightly flour the parchment paper. Even though parchment paper is non-stick, I’ve had my dough stick to it many times. To avoid this, dust the paper with flour before the dough hits it. This should protect the bottom from sticking.
Warm Places to “Proof” the Dough
Proofing (proving) is an essential step in preparing yeasted bread. This process allows the flour and yeast to ferment and the dough to rise to prepare for its final bake! Since this recipe is a quick-rise recipe, you want to keep the dough in a place that has a warmer and slightly humid temperature (proofing ovens are anywhere from 80-90 degrees). Some warmer places you can proof your dough at home would be…
The oven with the light on. This is an easy way to create a slightly warm environment.
Turn your oven on to the lowest temperature, then shut it off. Turn your oven to the lowest temperature, usually 200 degrees. Once it reaches that temperature, shut the oven off, open the door for a few seconds, and place the dough in the oven—closing the door. Opening the door will lower the heat and create the perfect warm temperature for the dough.
A warm, sunny room. If you have a window with a lot of afternoon sun, you can set your covered bowl in that area to warm it. Just make sure the dough is not in direct sunlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I chill it in the fridge overnight? Yes, this cold-proofing method will slow down the yeast and allow the flavors to develop even more. Allow the dough to rise for at least 1-2 hours at room temperature before allowing it to finish rising in the fridge overnight.
Why does this recipe not call for a second rise? This recipe shouldn’t need a second rise. If you handle the dough gently after its first rise, it should have the structure for baking in the oven. If you’d like, let it sit for about 10 minutes covered with a towel before baking; this can add a little more structure to it.
Can I use active yeast instead of instant? You can, but I recommend instant because it will cause the bread to rise much faster. No steps need to change if you use active yeast, but the bread might need a little longer to rise.
Can I use whole wheat flour? I tested this recipe with 1 cup of whole wheat and 2 1/4 cups of bread flour, and the loaf came out very dense. I wouldn’t recommend using it, but if you have great results using whole wheat in this recipe, let me know!
Meals we love to serve it with
We have served this bread with so many meals! Our favorites are…
A holiday meal. This bread is perfect for serving alongside your holiday spread for Christmas or Thanksgiving!
Pasta. We love serving this bread with our Short Rib Ragu with pappardelle or our Ragu Alla Bolognese!
Roast chicken. We made this bread alongside our herb butter roast chicken, and we loved it! The herbs in both dishes, plus the garlic in the bread, perfectly complemented one another.
Cozy soups and stews. We love a hearty soup and bread combo. Serve this with our Italian minestrone soup, pasta e fagioli, or pasta e ceci!
Rosemary Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup (430 grams) bread flour, can also use all-purpose
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) room temperature water
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon Honey or maple syrup
- 1 heaping Tablespoon fresh garlic, finely minced
- 2 heaping Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients, then water. In a large bowl, mix together everything except the water and honey. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add the water and honey. Use a rubber spatula to stir until everything comes together.
- Proof the dough: Cover with plastic wrap or dish towel, and set in a warm place to rise for 3 hours.
- After it rises: Once the dough has doubled in size, gently transfer it to a well-floured surface. Gently use a scraper and well-floured hands to form the dough into a round loaf shape, then carefully transfer it to a sheet of parchment paper. Note: in this step, it's important to be as gentle as possible with the dough to ensure no air is knocked out of it. This will help with proper oven spring and structure.
- Bake: Carefully lift the edges of the parchment and transfer the dough into a cast iron pot. Cover and bake at 450F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes – or until the crust is golden and the bread sounds hollow when you tap on it. Let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
What should you use if you don’t have anything cast iron?
You can use a regular cookie sheet type pan (with parchment paper), then below that wrack place a dish with boiling water in it. That will help steam the bread like a dutch oven would!
My bread concaved in the center but was still cooked all the way through also, it did not get as brown. What do you think I did wrong? The taste was delicious. Thank you.
Hi Shannon, so sorry to hear that! I’ve not had that happen before. Chances are it was under proved, I would say make sure it gets a nice rise. And if you did, then it couldve been overproved. I have never found this bread to be finicky though, it’s typically very forgiving! I would say next time, make sure it’s risen nicely. You could always shape it, and let it rest covered with a towel for 30 minutes before you bake it just to give it another little moment to prove.
This bread was absolutely delicious! Thank you for this great recipe! Looking forward to more of your recipes!
Thank you so much, Karin! This bread is one of my favorite homemade breads to make currently. So glad to hear you enjoyed it:)