Rehydrating Dried Rosemary for Bread?
I love the flavor of rosemary but I don't like its prickliness. It's worse dried, but I don't even like that particular quality in fresh rosemary. I'm experimenting with a yeast bread that will include both water and fat (in this case, bacon fat). I want distinct pieces of rosemary (although they can be small), so I don't want to grind the rosemary. I also want to avoid a green tinge in the bread itself. I'm thinking of manually crushing the rosemary into a couple of tablespoons of water and bringing the mixture to a boil in the microwave, letting it cool, straining and adding the rosemary to the bacon fat and giving it a quick saute. I guess I'd add the rosemary water to the water in the recipe if it isn't too green. Does that sound like it would work? I want the flavor, but no sharp edges.
Edit...Hmmm, I've reached the point in the experiment that the crushed rosemary and water have been in the microwave and cooled. At first I was optimistic, the texture seems like what I am going for. However, the flavor is strong - even bitter.
Best Answer
I would suggest heating some fresh rosemary in the bacon fat. Then discard the rosemary. You will get the flavor without the part you don't want.
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Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh in bread?
The general rule for swapping dried for fresh herbs is to use 1/3 of the amount called for in the recipe. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, then add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon).Can you hydrate dried rosemary?
How exactly do you rehydrate herbs? Put the amount you want to use in a small dish, cover them with water, wait about ten minutes, and finally drain the excess water.Can you bake with dried rosemary?
Dried rosemary can be substituted for fresh in many recipes, especially any recipes that are cooked.How do you activate dried rosemary?
Lay the rosemary sprigs in a single layer across your dehydrator tray/s, with some space between (so the air can circulate for even, quicker drying). Dry at 95\xba-105\xbaF/35\xba-40\xbaC for between 2-4 hours until the needles are brittle and easily separate from the stem. The leaves should snap rather than bend.Never Use an Oven or Dehydrator to Dry Herbs Again With This Century Old Method
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Answer 2
My solution would be a bit more long-term, which would be to put some rosemary sprigs in olive oil and let it infuse for a few weeks. I have a bottle of rosemary, sage, and garlic oil which I use in breads and it works extremely well.
Answer 3
As it turns out, I went forward with the experiment as I laid out in the question. Yes, it seemed a bit too strong as I added the rehydrated rosemary to the bacon fat, but in the final product it turned out exactly as I hoped it would. My bread contains onions sauteed in bacon fat, the rosemary sauteed with the onions, and crispy pieces of bacon. This one will stay in my "forever" file. I can see the bits of rosemary, I can taste them, but I can't feel them. The water I used to rehydrate the rosemary seemed too green, so I discarded that.
I am reminded how much I do like the flavor of rosemary, so next time I shop I will get some fresh to infuse. With an infused olive oil I'll probably use the flavor more often. Also the saute of the rosemary definitely helped to bring out yet mellow the flavor.
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