The past few weeks have been really odd schedule wise. I’ve been sick this week which for some reason makes the passage of time feel weird. And besides that, for the past three weeks or so we’ve had barely any school between teacher work days, Presidents Day, and snow days. As a person who heavily relies on a consistent schedule to stay sane, it’s been causing me more stress than days off should. But on the bright side, I have spent my snow days catching up on recipes so I’m back on track now.
The last recipe I published ended up coming out two days later than intended because my power was out. That meant no wifi, which meant no editing or posting. But now we have power and wifi so I can bring you this bread. I wrote the recipe, took pictures, filmed, all the things. But I almost forgot about it because it was so long ago. But I didn’t and so here she is.
I rarely do savory recipes on my blog, and I also rarely do bread recipes. In general I’m not a huge fan of bread recipes because they take a long time, but this one is different. Yes it still has plenty of rising time, but it’s also extremely cozy. I feel like there’s just something so wholesome about making a fresh loaf of twisty, herby bread in the winter. When I was designing this recipe, I knew I wanted it to be the kind of bread you dip in soups. And I believe I succeeded on that end.
Describe this Bread to Me
Taste: The dough has a buttery flavor with just a touch of honey sweetness. The filling is infused with nutty brown butter flavor, fresh rosemary and sage, and savory garlic and parmesan. This makes it perfect by itself or dipped in your favorite winter soup.
Texture: This has a pretty classic homemade bread texture if you know what I mean. It’s a little denser than a store-bought sandwich bread, but a little fluffier and less chewy then an Italian loaf. It’s the perfect balance.
Ease: This is about as simple as any other homemade bread recipe. The shaping may look complicated, but it’s actually much easier than it looks. The dough is a classic one bowl recipe, and the filling is pretty simple as well. The hardest part is waiting for it to rise!
The Dough
This is a pretty classic homemade savory bread recipe. It’s a little like a brioche in that it has higher egg and butter content then your classic sandwich bread, but it gives you a texture that’s a cross between a brioche and an Italian bread. It comes together in one bowl with only a handful of kitchen staples.
The Filling
The filling for this bread is pretty straightforward, but oh so delicious. Its starts with salted brown butter, which we let firm up in the refrigerator before adding in fresh chopped rosemary and sage, garlic, and parmesan. Spread that over the rolled out dough, and then top with a little more parmesan. Roll it up, slice it, twist it, and bake it!
Brown Butter Rosemary Parmesan Bread
Ingredients
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, yeast, and honey until combined. Whisk in the eggs. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and salt until almost combined. Add the butter and keep mixing until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough. If the dough is overwhelmingly sticky, add up to ½ cup more flour. Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it with your hands for about 2 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel to rise in a warm environment for 1 ½-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- 30 minutes before you plan to shape the dough, make the filling. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted keep cooking until the butter starts to brown, stirring frequently. The butter will sizzle and foam so be careful. Once the butter has reached an amber brown color, remove from the heat and pour into a medium sized bowl. Place in the fridge for 20-30 or until it reaches the consistency of softened butter. You don't want it to be fully solidified, just spreadable. (you may have to stir it as it will cool unevenly.)
- To the cooled and thickened butter, add the rosemary, sage, grated parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper and use a spatula to combine. Set aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough to release the air bubbles. Place the dough on a heavily floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly on top and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan. Carefully and tightly roll the dough into an 18 inch long log. Use your fingers to pinch the seam closed. Using a serrated knife, cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving about an inch at the top still connected. Turn the halves up so that the filling is showing, then cross the dough ropes overtop of each other repeatedly until you have a braid. Pinch the end of the braid to connect the two ropes. Finally, coil the braided dough up like a snake, so you should now have a circular braided dough. Carefully transfer the shaped bread to the previously prepared baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the shaped bread to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and the bread sounds hollow when you tap it. Let the bread cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving warm with plenty of butter. Bread stays fresh wrapped in foil at room temperature for up to 4 days.