Italian Peasant Bread for Bread Machine

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, this bread flecked with herbs, is an almost identical version to the bread served at the popular restaurant Ramano's Macoroni Grill. I came across the recipe after becoming addicted to their bread and craving it constantly (thanks to Google search and Cafe Michele). It's a great bread to tear and dip in flavored olive oils and to serve with your best Italian pasta dishes, or soups.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 55 mins
• Serves: 2-4
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup water
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  cups flour
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons rosemary
• 1  tablespoon  yeast
•  additional rosemary (to garnish)
•  salt (to garnish)

Directions

1. Place ingredients, according to manufacturer's directions into your bread machine.
2. (some call for all liquids, or all dry ingredients first, so know your machine) Set machine to "dough cycle" and wait. (This takes most machines about an hour and a half for a full cycle).
3. Remove from machine when cycle is complete and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
4. Shape dough by hand, into a rectangular mound, spreading kind of thin, maybe an inch or two of thickness.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. (This is a good time to go ahead and turn the oven on to preheat and help warm the kitchen).
6. Brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and salt if desired. (This is the way its done at Macaroni Grill).
7. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden and crispy. Bread is meant to be a flatter shape and not a high rising bread.
8. Have everyone tear their pieces of bread with their hands,and serve with olive oil flavored with fresh ground pepper.