Fragrant rosemary bread

The smell alone while I was baking these traditional Tuscan bread rolls is reason enough to make them. If you could bottle that smell and sell it you’d be rich. These rosemary, sultana and olive oil bread rolls are called Pandiramerino. The recipe requires a considerable amount of olive oil so I was able to make use of a recently purchased bottle of the finest Dandaragan Estate Extra Virgin olive oil.

For weeks I have been craving a weekend where I had no commitments or chores to do. I just wanted to sit around and do as little as possible. But who was I kidding? I can’t sit around for more than five minutes without hopping up to do something. I didn’t even want to go out to the supermarket, so the challenge was to make something with the ingredients I already had at home.

I remembered reading a recipe in this months Delicious magazine for bread rolls that only required six ingredients, all of which I had in my cupboards. The time spent kneading the dough was much better fun than sitting around doing nothing, especially when you add the oil and it becomes all googy and squelchy. What a pleasure. The smell while they were baking was divine and I’m surprised that none of our neighbours came a-calling. They smelt so good that J and I devoured two as soon as they were out of the oven. Hence the recipe is for 6 rolls but I only had four to photograph.

Pandiramerino (rosemary, sultana and olive oil bread)
Makes 6

1 tbsp dried yeast
¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
400g plain flour, warmed
2 large sprigs rosemary
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
150g sultanas, raisins or dried muscatel grapes

Dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in 1 cup (250ml) warm water and leave to stand for 10 mins until frothy.
Sift the flour into a bowl, add the remaining sugar, then make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture. Mix until it comes together, then knead on a lightly floured work surface for 10 mins or until elastic. Put the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the rosemary and strip off the leaves. Lightly bruise with the end of a rolling pin. Heat 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil and the bruised rosemary leaves in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Strain when cold and remove the rosemary.
Uncover the dough and knock it back into shape. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead cooled olive oil and reserved rosemary into dough with the sultanas.
Divide dough into 6 pieces, shape each into a neat ball, then put on a floured baking sheet and flatten slightly. Using a very sharp knife, make two long vertical cuts in the top of each roll, followed by to horizontal ones, like a grid. Cover and leave for 30-40mins or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 180C. Uncover the dough and brush lightly with the remaining oil. Bake for 30 mins or until risen and brown, and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.