Macaroni Grill Bread

I love bread! If a restaurant serves bread before the meal I am usually more excited to eat the bread than anything else. I don't know if it is just the fact that I am usually really hungry when they bring the bread out, or if the bread really is just amazing. Either way I love going to places that serve amazing bread. This restaurant is the same. I always love eating their bread. My mom actually gave me this recipe. She had it at a friends house and raved about it so much that I just had to get the recipe. This recipe really does come pretty close to the real thing, if I could only find some opera singer to come sing in my kitchen!

Macaroni Grill Bread
Yield: 2 loaves
Time: 1 1/2 hours start to finish

Ingredients:
1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 C warm water
3 T olive oil
1/4 t sugar
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t McCormick Italian Seasoning Grinder
1/4 t cracked black pepper
3/4 T fresh rosemary, snipped

1 egg
butter and salt


1. In the bottom of your mixer combine water, yeast and sugar. Mix it around a bit with a spoon and let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt, oil and 1 C flour. Mix for 30 seconds to incorporate.
3. Add the rest of the flour about 1/2 C at a time, while the mixer continues to mix.
4. When all of the flour is incorporated mix on high for about 7 minutes.
5. While your mixer is doing it's fine work, get your herbs and seasonings ready to go. I like to snip rosemary with scissors. You don't want to eat any of the thick stem that rosemary comes on, only the little needles.
6. When your dough is done mixing add the rosemary, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix just until incorporated.
7. Cover your mixing bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
8. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Shape into balls and place on a sprayed cookie sheet, or a cooking stone with a bit of olive oil on it.
9. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut 2 slits in the top of the bread.
10. In a small bowl whisk an egg until frothy. Brush the egg all over the top of the loaf and into the cracks.
11. Place the loaves into a warm oven. (I set mine to 170) Let them rise until doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
12. Turn your oven up to 370 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. When the loaves come out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack. Brush butter over the tops and sprinkle a little bit of salt over the top of the butter. Be careful to not get too much. I always use freshly cracked salt. You can buy both salt and pepper crackers at Costco these days. Look on the spice aisle.


Recipe Source: Jamie Cooks It Up!