Panmarino (Rosemary Bread) & Panini Marino (Rosemary Rolls)

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (105°F)
• 2 3/4 cups unbleached bread flour, plus additional flour for the work surface
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cool water
• 1/4 cup Biga
• 2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Olive oil for the bowl
• Medium-grind yellow cornmeal for the baker’s peel
• Coarse sea salt for the slashes

Directions

1. Quick reminders: 1. Make pane alle olive dough (no olives); knead in 2 tsp chopped rosemary + 2 Tbsp milk, ~5 min. 2. Oiled bowl: rise, punch down, rise again. 3. Loaf: football shape, rise ~50 min. Rolls: nine 2-oz balls, rise ~40 min. 4. Preheat stone to 425°F. Cornmeal peel. 5. Slash (loaf: full length; rolls: 1 inch), coarse salt in slash. 6. Mist oven before and after loading. 7. Bake: loaf 40-50 min, rolls 20-30 min, until golden and hollow-sounding.
2. Make the base dough without olives: Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir the salt into the flour in a large bowl. Make a well and add the yeast mixture, cool water, and biga; stir until the dough is too resistant to stir.
3. Knead briefly in the bowl, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously until smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes, including occasional 1- to 2-minute rests. Return the dough to the bowl; add rosemary and milk and knead gently until completely incorporated, about 5 minutes. The dough may temporarily lose cohesiveness. Shape into a ball.
4. Oil a large bowl, turn the dough to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down by folding the edges into the center and turning smooth side up. Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
5. For the loaf: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Without overworking it, fold the rim toward the center twice to make a loose round ball. Place rough side up and gently press into a disk about 6 inches across and 1 inch thick. Fold the far edge toward you over two-thirds of the disk, then roll toward you into a football shape. Seal the seam with the heel of your hand. Place seam side down and roll and press the ends to taper. Cover and let rise at room temperature about 50 minutes, until doubled and the dough springs back gently when pressed.
6. For the rolls: Instead of shaping a loaf, divide the dough into nine 2-ounce portions. Roll each beneath a cupped hand on a flour-dusted surface, folding the edges toward the center in a circular motion to make smooth round balls. Place rough side down on a thick layer of flour, cover with a towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 40 minutes.
7. Preheat a baking stone in the oven to 425°F. Mist the preheated oven with a spray bottle and quickly shut the door. Dust a baker’s peel with medium-grind yellow cornmeal.
8. For the loaf: Transfer gently to the peel. With a sharp serrated knife, slash once along the full length, about 1/2 inch deep, and sprinkle coarse sea salt in the slash. Slide onto the stone and mist the oven again. Bake 40–50 minutes, until golden brown on top, dark brown on the bottom, and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool completely on a wire rack.
9. For the rolls: Place on the cornmeal-dusted peel. Make one 1-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slash in the top of each roll and sprinkle coarse sea salt into each slash. Mist the rolls and the oven before loading and mist the oven again just after loading onto the stone. Bake 20–30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Cool on wire racks.