Like grown up play, baking allows me to be creative with my hands, and see the flour and water and yeast and salt take on they mysterious shape and life of its own. Plus, I get to fiddle with fire in the oven, and use knives as I score the bread. Tremendously satisfying and fun is the baking of bread!
Lately I’ve been baking most of my bread in pots. I find that the environment in those pre-heated, cast iron pans brings about results so much like my brothers’ million dollar French ovens… 🙂
And here is a super fun way to put bread on the table, using my typical French dough mix for these rolls, adding a bit of rosemary for umph.
Just love rosemary.
Shape the dough into rolls, then place them in the heated pots and allow them to bake together, forming rolls-in-the-round.
Yum.
The Woman and the Wheat 
I just looked at your post from August 30, 2010 for the recipe….and oh, my…your rosemary growing like a weed is amazing! Wish it grew like that here…
I hope to make some like this! SO beautiful. And I’m sure scrumptious!!!
Thanks Jane for this recipie. I will try it on friday with the rosemary.
Just wondering you mention about retarding. Can the bread be left overnight in fridge till about 2.OOpm the next day or is their a time limit on leaving overnight in fridge?
Also, do I form them into rolls then leave in the fridge?
Many thanks and thanks for a great site!
Hi, Angela. I’ve never let dough sit for quite that long. I’m thinking the yeast might be a bit worn out after a stint of 16 hours in the fridge, and would probably develop a dry sort of crust on the exterior of the dough. But… you never know until you try. Mix up a small batch and give it a whirl!
Yes, you would need to mix the dough, let it rise for 1 1/2 hours or so, then you’d mold the dough into rolls (or whatever shape you want)–and that’s the time for retardation.
I’m with you–nothing is as good as rosemary in yummy bread. Those rolls were a work of art!
Thanks Jane,
Okay , I tried this bread and it is very tasty. Mine didnt look as golden as yours, yours look like they have just come out of a bread shop 🙂 .
I will try tommorrow in the cast iron pot.
Thanks for sharing
Jane,
Just wanted to let you know how they went. You were right they sort of have a crust on the exterior, but they are very tasty!
Just a quick question, I placed them in refrigerator rolled with a damp towel on top, but they didnt really rise, would you know why?
Thanks
Hi, Jane–Your rolls-in-the-round look great! I am making them right now, but then noticed that you said “heated pan”–and I didn’t see more instructions about that. How hot should the pan be before putting the rolls in? Is the pot covered? does it change the length of time to cook? Help!! 🙂
Hi, Geri. You posted two hours ago, so yikes!!! You can either bake them traditionally, on a cookie sheet or something, or in a heated pot. I use a large cast iron/enamel pot, heating it when I pre-heat the oven. I then pull out the hot pan, put the rolls gingerly inside (careful not to burn myself) and return the pot with the lid on to the oven. I bake longer in a pot. For about 20-25 minutes with the lid on, and another 20-25 minutes with the lid off. I’m typically baking at 450 or 425.
Let me know how it went!
Perfect timing! The dough has been rising–I finally had to set it in the sun outside! So, now it’s doing its second rising as little shaped doughlets–so now I know what to do! Thanks so much!