Honey Bread

Preparation Toast the rosemary in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oil, yeast, and warm water and stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Combine the flour and salt and mound in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Slowly pour the dissolved yeast into the well, working in the flour with your fingertips, then knead the dough until a ball forms. Knead in the honey and toasted rosemary. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or oiled plastic wrap and let rise to 1 1/2 times the original size, about 1 hour. Grease two 9 x 4-inch loaf pans. Punch down the dough and transfer to a floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in the prepared pans, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pans in the oven and bake until the tops are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Invert the pans onto a cooling rack and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the pans and let cool. Reprinted with permission from The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by Marcus Samuelsson. © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Preparation Toast the rosemary in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oil, yeast, and warm water and stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Combine the flour and salt and mound in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Slowly pour the dissolved yeast into the well, working in the flour with your fingertips, then knead the dough until a ball forms. Knead in the honey and toasted rosemary. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or oiled plastic wrap and let rise to 1 1/2 times the original size, about 1 hour. Grease two 9 x 4-inch loaf pans. Punch down the dough and transfer to a floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in the prepared pans, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pans in the oven and bake until the tops are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Invert the pans onto a cooling rack and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the pans and let cool. Reprinted with permission from The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by Marcus Samuelsson. © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.