Rosemary Olive Knots
I haven’t always been a homebody, but nothing beats comfy clothes and snuggling under a blanket on the sofa.
In my early 20s, I was the complete opposite. FOMO is a term that didn’t exist then, but it perfectly summed up my feelings.
Like so many 20-somethings, if I wasn’t out and about, I thought I was missing all the fun. I really should have looked farther ahead and considered the wonderful life moments to come..
I wasn’t missing out on anything!
It’s funny how with age comes confidence and knowing yourself and what you like to do.
Even if I don’t leave the house on a Saturday or Sunday, I still make sure that my day is jam packed with cooking. I will manage to squeeze in some chores, too.
Being at home has so many advantages. I go makeup-free, wear pajamas and tackle what projects I can.
Baking bread is one of those activities that isn’t difficult. The challenge is finding the time.
It’s best when you can carve out a day, or at least an afternoon, focused in the kitchen.
Even with time on my hands, I like to make bread dough in the food processor. I do find kneading therapeutic, but so often when I’m making dough, I am multitasking. The food processor lets me go almost hands free.
My latest homemade bread obsession are rosemary olive knots. From-scratch rolls, mean even the most simple dinner seem special.
How To Make Rosemary Olive Knots
After I whipped up the dough in the food processor and let it rise, I rolled it out into a rectangle and covered half of it with a mixture of chopped Kalamata olives, rosemary and olive oil.
I folded the dough to cover the olives and then cut it into strips and tied each one into a knot.
Patience was key during the second rise. I made sure to wait until the rolls had doubled in size.
These knots were just the right combination of chewy, herby and a little salty and made great dinner rolls.
The kind that have you ruining your meal because of the bread basket!
Rosemary Olive Knots
- Prep Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Makes 12 rolls
Ingredients
For dough
2-1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons kosher salt
For filling
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the dough, in a small bowl, combine the yeast, water and oil and let stand for a few minutes until foamy. Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor. With the motor running, pour in the yeast mixture. Once a shaggy dough forms, let it rest for 10 minutes. Then process the dough for 15 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and fold it onto itself a few times before placing in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
After the dough has risen, pat it into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured work surface. Fold the dough into thirds and transfer it to a floured sheet pan. Unfold it, cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
For the filling, combine the olives, rosemary, olive oil and pepper in a small bowl. Spread the filing on the bottom half of the dough and fold the other side on top pressing down without stretching the dough.
Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Tie the strips into loose knots and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan leaving 2 inches of space on all sides. Cover the pan with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour until they have doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the knots until they are deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Store the rolls loosely covered with plastic on the day they are baked. To defrost frozen rolls, reheat for 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees F and cool before serving.
Notes
Adapted from The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri
