Rosemary Bread

Before we head in to the weekend I wanted to squeeze in one more post, and I realized I haven't posted a recipe for bread in a while!  I baked this loaf up earlier in the week and am glad I did!  I've made this recipe once before but didn't get to taste it - I traded it to a friend in exchange for bourbon brownies.  Speaking of which - I ought to make her more bread...

But for now, this one is mine!

For a 1.5 pound loaf, put in your machine:
1 and 1/4 cup milk
4 tsp olive oil
a dash (or more) of hot sauce
3 cups bread flour
3 tbsp cornmeal
1tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp snipped fresh rosemary (half as much if using dried)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp active dry yeast

This goes through the white bread cycle and a few hours later, you get this pretty loaf!

I thought the cornmeal in this bread made it really interesting.  Commonly you may see cornmeal on the bottom of a loaf that you bake on a baking sheet or oven stone - that helps keep the bread from sticking to whatever you're baking it on.  In this recipe, by mixing the cornmeal through out the bread, you get a nice toothy crunch in even the soft parts of the bread.  It gives it a sort of "rustic" texture that is so perfect for sopping up sauces or soups or a little bit of olive oil.

Hmm, I wonder how it would work as a sourdough...