Baked rosetta bread

We had a bit of an Italian food fest yesterday at home. As promised, here is the recipe for the Rosetta bread we made. The quantities are not very precise but you really can’t go wrong!

Rosetta bread step one

Mix around half a cup of water and a dash of olive oil with yeast in a mixing bowl (we used a small packet of fast action dried yeast from Sainsbury’s). Wait for 5 mins then add around a cup and a half of strong white bread flour or plain flour. Stir in the flour to make a nice dough, adding a bit of water if it’s dry.

Rosetta bread step two

Take the dough out of the bowl then start kneading it repeatedly, adding flour if it’s too sticky, until the dough makes smooth and springy ball. Put it back in the bowl, cover it with a cloth, then leave it to rest for a couple of hours.  Take out the dough then knead it with some more flour and return it to the covered bowl for an hour. Repeat the kneading and covering. The dough should double in size.

Rosetta bread step three

When you’re ready, roll the dough into balls and arrange them on a baking tray in the shape of flowers (on baking paper or directly on the tray, greased with a bit of olive oil). Let it rest for 20/30 minutes or so then pop them in hot oven at around 230 degrees celsius. Take it out of the oven, let it rest and cool for a good 30 minutes before eating. Buon appetito!

Where does the name come from?

Rosetta bread is traditionally made in both Italy and the south of France. It resembles the shape of a flower hence the name ‘Rosetta’ meaning ‘a rose’ in Italian and ‘La Marguerite’ meaning ‘a daisy’ in French.