This Rosemary Sea Salt Italian Bread has the perfect amount of flavor sprinkled on top. 

rosemary sea salt italian bread loaf

There’s nothing like a little homemade bread to dunk into soup on a chilly winter’s day. That being said, I like to make this rosemary sea salt Italian bread all year long. Homemade bread is just so much better than store-bought. Sure, you can pick it up in a bakery but it’s easy enough to make your own at home. Try it!

ingredients displayed for making rosemary sea salt italian bread

Ingredients needed:

  • active dry yeast
  • lukewarm water
  • all purpose flour
  • whole wheat flour
  • salt
  • cornmeal
  • fresh rosemary
  • flaky sea salt

This recipe calls for using two kinds of flour- all purpose and whole wheat. The whole wheat flour gives the bread a little bit of a different, delicious flavor. You can certainly use ALL all-purpose flour for this bread, if you’d like.

two photos showing yeast in one bowl and added water in the next

How to prepare the yeast:

To prepare the yeast in this recipe, you will dissolve the yeast in warm water and wait until it’s creamy and foamy looking. Make sure you use a new packet of yeast, and don’t use one that is expired. Old yeast won’t work, and your bread will not rise.

What’s the best yeast to use for baking bread?

You’ll use active dry yeast for this recipe. Active dry yeast is the most common type of yeast to use for baking bread. Most bread recipes will call for using this type of yeast unless they specify using something different.

four photos showing how to make dough for Italian bread

How to make Rosemary Sea Salt Italian Bread:

In a food processor, combine the flours and salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining ½ cup water through the feed tube until the dough just forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and no longer sticky, about 30 times. Alternately, you can mix in a bowl, and then knead on a floured board thoroughly until the dough is smooth.
 
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean dishtowel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

four photos showing how to assemble dough for making italian bread

Punch down the dough; lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Roll the dough out into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds, lengthwise, and pinch the seams to seal, forming into a 12-inch tapered oval loaf.
 
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray; sprinkle the cornmeal in a 12-inch strip down the center. Place the loaf on the baking sheet, on top of the cornmeal. Cover the loaf loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Spray the loaf with nonstick spray and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. With a serrated knife, cut 2 to 3 slashes into the top.

rosemary sea salt italian bread loaf cut open on cutting board

Place in the upper third of a cold oven; set the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake about 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from the baking sheet and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

rosemary sea salt italian bread loaf cut into slices

The Best Bread Recipes:

rosemary sea salt italian bread loaf
5 from 1 vote

Rosemary Sea Salt Italian Bread

There’s nothing like a little homemade bread to dunk into soup on a chilly winter’s day.
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Rising Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings (1 slice per serving)
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Ingredients

  • One .25-ounce envelope active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornmeal
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ tablespoon flaky sea salt

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over ¼ cup of the water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  • In a food processor, combine the flours and salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining ½ cup water through the feed tube until the dough just forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and no longer sticky, about 30 times.
  • Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean dishtowel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
  • Punch down the dough; lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Roll the dough out into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds, lengthwise, and pinch the seams to seal, forming into a 12-inch tapered oval loaf.
  • Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray; sprinkle the cornmeal in a 12-inch strip down the center. Place the loaf on the baking sheet, on top of the cornmeal. Cover the loaf loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
  • Spray the loaf with nonstick spray and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. With a serrated knife, cut 2 to 3 slashes into the top. Place in the upper third of a cold oven; set the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake about 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from the baking sheet and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 87kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 582mg, Potassium: 39mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Rosemary Sea Salt Italian Bread

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