When I returned to work after my most recent maternity leave, I was told that the hotel/restaurant next door to the Patisserie was serving rosemary baguettes and they were telling their clients that I made them. They were really giving their guests something frozen and reheated they ordered from Sysco. I only know this because our customers were coming in and asking if we had any rosemary baguettes. So, I did what any decent baker would do....I started making them!
I tweaked my basic sourdough formula...a little less wheat...a little more levain, which is a stiff wheat and rye sour...a pinch of yeast to make it less dense and more airy....fresh rosemary from Keith's farm. For the first week or so, I shaped the dough into stubby baguettes but I wasn't happy with the crust. It was a little too think on the bottom. Then I remembered I had some square proofing baskets I wasn't using. I dusted the molds with brown rice flour to keep the dough from sticking and to give the crust an interesting look. Also, a generous dusting of rice flour has a much better mouth feel than a heap of regular flour. The end result is my new favorite bread. I am so in love with the rosemary loaf that I haven't eaten any other bread since it's conception (expect for a little Stollen but that's a special treat). I really hope our customers find as much value in it as I do so that I can keep baking it. The hotel/restaurant next door actually started ordering it in roll form. Now everybody wins!
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