Posted by Originally posted 8 March 2019
Hello there lovelies!
Every time I sit in my favourite spot on our sofa, I have a view of one particular part of our garden: The raised patio wall (I live in a basement flat), pretty flowers growing in pots on said wall, the side of the shed, the rosemary bush and a little bit of garden beyond.
Planted by my mother-in-law who used to live here years ago, our rosemary bush feels like part of the family. It survives all weathers, remains constant despite the season and even when over pruned, forgives us and soldiers on. I was once told that a rosemary bush such as ours which grows with abandon in the garden is a sign that a strong woman lives in the house! I’ve also read that it wards off evil spirits. Whether these stories are true or not, rosemary has been and is still used medicinally today.
Right now, our rosemary is showing off it’s delicate lilac flowers, which the bees are happily feasting on and which are brightening my days. It is simply a joy and I thought it was time to celebrate it. This dough recipe works for dough balls, pizzas, breadsticks and would probably make lovely rolls too.
Ingredients:
A combination of 5oz/140g wholemeal bread flour and 5oz/140g strong white bread flour
1 tsp fast action yeast
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp ground sea salt
2 x 18 cm lengths/1½ heaped tbsp of rosemary (flowering rosemary is good too!)
1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for lining the bowl and greasing the oven trays
175 ml warm water
Method:
Preheat your oven to 200°c.
Remove the rosemary leaves and flowers if using, from their woody stems and chop finely.
Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl, mixing well.
If using a food processor, attach the dough hook and add the olive oil followed by the water little by little all the while keeping the machine running. Add enough water to make a slightly sticky dough and continue to knead.
If kneading by hand, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil and most of the water and slowly incorporate until combined. You may need to add all of the water to make a slightly sticky dough. Knead for a further 10 minutes.
Take the dough out of the bowl briefly and pour about a teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of the bowl. Pop the dough back in and cover the bowl with a damp, warm tea towel.
Leave the dough to rise for about an hour. It should be risen to double the size.
Knead on a greased surface for a few minutes.
For dough balls:
Split the dough into about 16 portions, each weighing just over 1oz/28g.
Roll each in your hands briefly to make a smooth ball and place onto a greased oven tray, making sure that they are well spaced out.
Pop into the oven and bake for 10-12 mins until browned.
Whilst still warm, cut open and spread a generous helping of garlic butter inside. In my son’s words, “the garlic really brings out the flavour of the rosemary”!
For Breadsticks:
Repeat the process for the dough balls, again splitting the dough into about 16 portions or more if you want thinner breadsticks. Roll into thin sausage shapes approximately 22cm in length instead of balls.
Once cooked, cool and enjoy dipped into hummus or other dips!
For pizzas: (Makes 2 medium size pizzas)
Once risen, knead briefly and split into 2 portions. Roll out into circles, place on lightly greased baking trays, pop on your tomato sauce, toppings and cheese and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
If you try these, I’d love to know!
Enjoy the weekend and week ahead lovelies. Until next time!
Lots of love and take care,
Lucy
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Lucylu dreams... 