Rosemary & Flax Cast Iron Artisan Bread

As many of you know, I bake our family bread, basically a flaxseed meal bread. I use that basic recipe to make all sorts of variations of my bread: basic family bread, rolls, and various herb breads.

Today, I want to give you another variation that I just love . . . rosemary & flax artisan bread baked in my Bigmom's cast iron skillet! You will LOVE this.

You will need:
 
~1-1/3 c. hot water (the hotter, the better, but not boiling)
~2 ts. butter (or margarine ~ I recommend Earth Balance, it is non-hydrogenated)
~4 c. unbleached bread flour (I also enjoy 2 c bread flour & 2 c whole wheat)
~1/4 c. flaxseed meal
~5 ts. sugar OR Sucanat (depends on your sweet-tooth)
~1-1/2 ts. sea salt (OR Real Salt ~ remember that Real Salt is "saltier" than sea salt)
~the leaves of 3 long, dried sprigs of rosemary OR 1 TB dried rosemary
1 TB. (heaping) yeast (cold - kept in frig)

Directions:

1) Add ingredients into your bread machine in order as listed above.

2) Use your finger or a measuring spoon to form a well (hole) in the mixture to pour the yeast into. NEVER let your yeast come into contact w/a liquid before mixing. NOTE ~ hot water & cold yeast will make your bread rise higher & more successfully; however, if it is raining on the day you bake your bread the rise will not be quite so high.

3) Set machine on "Dough." Mine will knead and rise for about 1-1/2 hours.

4) About 10 minutes before cycle is complete, set oven on "warm" to pre-heat. While oven is warming, spray or grease your 10" cast iron skillet ~ I like to use grape seed oil. After about 10 minutes, turn oven OFF. 
 

Take bread out of machine, punch down, shape into a round loaf and set in skillet, 

take a knife and cut a cross on the top of the bread, set bread in oven and let rise for 45 minutes. 

5) After bread rises, set oven at 375* & bake for 27 minutes.

6) Cool on wire rack.

7) Pour about 3 TB of olive oil into a saucer & sprinkle in 1 TB of grated Parmesan cheese into the oil.

8) Cut bread into slices, dip pieces of the bread into the oil & cheese mixture and ENJOY!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><