Soap box aside ;-) homemade bread is tasty on its own, but it can also be the perfect (and simple!) compliment to your dinner. I usually try to make 4 baguettes every other week. It's a time investment up front, but the benefits are reaped for the next few weeks since I cut each in half and place them in a resealable freezer bag for defrosting with dinners. Lately I've been looking to deviate from my normal production. I've been wanting to try to make a beer bread or herbed bread of some sort, but the right opportunity had not yet presented itself. Low and behold during a visit from my parents my mom presented me with a beautiful bouquet of fresh rosemary from her herb garden. Ding! That was my answer. Rosemary bread! The recipe below is adapted from one I found on AllRecipes. Don't be intimidated by the amount of time it takes. With bread, there's minimal prep and cook time, but a lot of waiting for it to rise. Usually I pick a day when I'll be home doing some other projects or errands. I'll prep the dough, then run out grocery shopping, do laundry, or write a blog entry, etc. and return when the dough requires attention. Ultimately the end product completely justifies the time investment :)
