When I first read this recipe, many years ago, I knew I had to test it. It only took me eight years. But last weekend I finally baked this rosemary sourdough bread. I should point out immediately that it is a bit tedious. The rosemary is not added directly to the dough. First, you have to mix olive oil with fresh rosemary and let it stand for ar least two days, preferably longer. Then you use the oil to flavor the bread. That is probably one reason why it took me so long to test this recipe. I know it’s a poor excuse. But I always forgot to prepare that damn oil.

The Swedish baker Johan Sörberg has created the original recipe. My version of the recipe is almost identical to the original, except that I have ruled out fresh yeast. Instead, I increased the amount of sourdough starter. It meant that I had to increase the fermentation time considerably. I also added som semolina when I formed the bread to get a nice crust.

I let the rosemary sit in the olive oil for two days. It was possible to perceive the taste of rosemary, but just barely. That is the meaning of this recipe. The oil will give a softer, more subtle taste of rosemary than if you had mixed it down directly into the dough. But it was a little bit too subtle for my taste. Next time I will probably go for the longer time, four days. Or maybe a whole week.

I kneaded the dough in a bread mixer, but I think you will get a just as good result if you chose to use a stretch and fold technique. The hydration is about 69%, so the dough is quite easy to handle.

To emulate the original recipe as much as possible, I chose to let the dough rise at room temperature. I don’t think it’s appropriate with longer fermentation in a colder environment. The sour taste you can get may kill the subtle rosemary taste completely. But that’s just what I think. Feel free to do some experimentation.

This bread was almost to my expectations. Slightly more flavor of rosemary and I would have been more than satisfied. But I think that’s easy to adjust with a stronger flavor of the oil. This is a bread that I will bake many times in the future. If I can just remember to prepare that damn oil.  We ate it together with lamb and roasted vegetables, and that was a hit. However, I think it goes well with most kinds of food, except breakfast, maybe.

By the way, the oil that is left is excellent as a dressing.

About flour.

The hydration of this dough is about 69%. The flour I used has 11.5-12 % protein. You may have to increase the water amount to get the same result if you are using a much stronger flour.

Rosemary sourdough bread

Sourdough bread with a hint of rosemary. Goes well with most kind of food, preferably some Mediterranean cuisine.

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Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 2 loafs

Ingredients

  

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• 350 gram water
• 450 gram Wheat flour
• 100 gram durum flour
• 40 gram rosemary oil
• 250 gram wheat sourdough starter
• 8 gram cane syrup
• 15 gram sea salt
• 20 gram semolina spread when forming loaves optionally

Rosemary oil

• 1/2 cup rosemary leavs
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

 

Rosemary oil

• Mix rosemary leaves and olive oil with a hand mixer. Let it stand for at least 2 days. I recommend 4 days or longer.

Rosemary sourdough bread

• Mix all ingredients except salt in a dough mixer until the dough is elastic. Use window pane test. Add the salt the last minutes. If you prefer to knead by hand you can use a stretch and fold technique. You will find a link in the recipe notes.
• Let the dough ferment until doubled in size.
• Spread some semolina on a lightly floured working surface. Form the dough into two loaves with an oblong batard shape. See link in recipe notes. Let the loaves rise in bannetons or on lightly floured parchment paper. Place kitchen towels on the sides to support the bread if you don't use bannetons.
• Let the loaves rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 480ºF / 250ºC with two oven plates. One to bake the bread on and one just below.
• Score each loaf along the side and place them in the oven. Lower the heat to 440ºF / 230ºC. Pour some water on the plate below and bake each loaf in 25-35 minutes.
• Let the bread cool on wire racks.

Notes

Follow this link for instructions regarding stretch and fold technique and forming the loaves.

 

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Why do I call this recipe for Mediterranean salad instead of greek salad? The flavors feel very much Greece to me. But the recipe for this salad has no origins in Greece at all, so I choose to call it Mediterranean instead. Everything else had felt a bit arbitrary. It’s like when I find recipes written in Australia for “authentic” Swedish meatballs. Don’t get me wrong. They looks delicious but not very authentic. This salad is something I composed from things I found in my fridge. Half a zucchini, a few tomatoes, some olives, a somewhat withered leek, and a piece of feta cheese that had to be consumed in a very near future.

To give it som backbone I decided to add some green lentils that I found in my pantry. I also found some wheatberries that I couldn’t resist. The first thing I had to do was to boil the lentils and wheatberries. I seldom buy canned lentils or beans. There has been to many alarms here in Sweden regarding bisphenol in tin cans the last years.

Don’t let the dressing steal the show.

While the lentils were boiling, I mixed the dressing. I wanted a Greek touch, after all, so I choose olive oil, Vinagre, garlic, and oregano. When you mix a dressing, it is important that the garlic and vinegar don’t dominate too much. You don’t want to look like a pug in your face when you eat your salad. Too much garlic and vinegar just kill all other flavors. I use to grate the garlic and mix it with the oil. After that I let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Before I add it to the salad, I pour the oil through a strainer to get rid of all pieces of garlic. That way, I get a mild garlic flavor, just the way I want it. I add the Vinagre drip by drip until I get a desirable freshness.

Never waste the green part of the leek.

A typical Greek salad often contain red onion. Now, I love red onion, but when I found that leeks, I decided to use that instead. Most of what was left of it were the green part. But that was perfect. The green part is the best to use for salad. It adds both color and a mild taste, almost like spring onions.

I know it is not the season for tomatoes just yet. But if you salt and drain them, you can tease out a little more flavor. You can read more about that technique here.

This is a typical use all those vegetables before they must be discarded salad. I like that a lot as minimizing food waste is one of my missions. Besides, it tastes just great. As a final touch, I added some pumpkin seed. But that’s additional. Serve with a slice of sourdough bread. Close your eyes and enjoy and imagine that you are sitting at a small tavern somewhere in Greece.

Mediterranean style lentil salad with feta cheese

This is a typical use all those vegetables before they must be discarded salad. Serve with a slice of sourdough bread and enjoy the Mediterranean flavors.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

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• 1 cup leek cut in fine slices
• 20 cherry or plum tomatoes halved
• 2 cup zucchini shredded
• 3/4 cup olives
• 5 oz feta cheese
• 2 cup green lentils boiled
• 1/2 cup wheatberries boiled

Dressing

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinagre
• 1 teaspoon oregano dried
• salt and black pepper to taste Be careful with salt. Both olives and feta cheese is quite salty.

Topping

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seed (Additional)

Instructions

 

• Mix olive oil with vinagre. Add salt an pepper.
• Add all ingredients into a big kitchen bowl. Add dressing and toss until everything is thoroughly dressed.
• Spread some pumpkin seed on top.

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