Rosemary Parmesan Bread

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Soft, cheesy, and bursting with herby goodness! Our rustic Dutch oven bread is a delightful masterpiece, packed with pockets of melted parmesan cheese and infused with the rich flavor of rosemary. This rosemary parmesan bread is a surefire hit that the whole family will absolutely love.

Cheesy bread in a blue dutch oven.

It’s been a little over four years since I shared this recipe for Dutch oven rosemary Parmesan bread, and it’s still one of our most popular recipes. It’s easy to see why!

Our Parmesan and rosemary bread is irresistibly soft, fluffy, and brimming with the perfect blend of cheese and herb flavors. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to prepare.

The combination of rosemary and Parmesan is a flavor sensation that even places like Quiznos, Costco, and Jersey Mike’s feature in their own rosemary parm bread varieties. We’ve also used similar flavors in our Parmesan cheese sourdough crackers.

This recipe isn’t a copycat; it’s a unique Dutch oven version that bakes into a large, rustic loaf, perfect for dipping into seasoned olive oil, marinara sauce, or Alfredo sauce.

And the best part? Your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing as it bakes!

Kim’s Tips

Tips

Perfecting the Dough: Aim for a dough that’s slightly tacky but still manageable. If it feels too wet, gradually add flour a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

Preheat Your Dutch Oven: Creating a steamy environment inside a hot Dutch oven is the secret to achieving a gorgeous, crusty exterior. Preheat it along with your oven to get the best results.

Scoring the Bread: While optional, scoring the top of your bread with a sharp knife before baking not only gives it a rustic appearance but also allows it to expand beautifully in the oven.

Checking for Doneness: Tap the bottom of your bread to check for doneness. If it sounds hollow, it’s ready!

Cool Before Slicing: Let your bread cool completely on a wire rack for 1-2 hours before slicing to avoid a gummy texture. Patience here will reward you with perfect slices every time.

Stacks of rosemary parmesan bread next to fresh rosemary.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Absolutely! You can use shredded Parmesan cheese instead of cubed. Shredded Parmesan blends seamlessly into the dough, ensuring an even distribution of cheesy flavor throughout the bread.

Just be sure to measure the cheese by weight to get the correct amount, as shredded cheese can be denser than cubed.

No problem! You can absolutely make our rosemary parmesan bread by hand.

Start with a large mixing bowl and a sturdy spoon to combine your ingredients.

Once you’ve formed a rough dough, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

We haven’t tested this recipe in a bread machine, and because bread machines vary so much in their capabilities and settings, we can’t guarantee the same results.

However, if you’re feeling adventurous and want to try it in a bread machine, be prepared to tweak the ingredient proportions and process to achieve that same great texture and flavor that you’d get from a Dutch oven.

Happy experimenting!

Leftover bread keeps wonderfully at room temperature. Simply place the bread in a plastic bag and store it for 2-3 days.

For longer storage, place the leftover bread in a sealed container in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 3-4 days.

Just remember, the cool refrigerator air can dry out the bread, so make sure it’s sealed well to maintain its deliciousness!

Absolutely, rosemary Parmesan bread freezes beautifully! Once your bread has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw the bread at room temperature before reheating. It will stay fresh and delicious for up to two months!

More Bread Recipes to Try

Loaf of bread on parchment in a pan.

Dutch Oven Rosemary Parmesan Bread

4.6 from 75 votes
Print Pin
Author: Kimberly
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rise and Cool Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 16 Servings

Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely cubed
  • 1 ½ cups water, warmed to 110 to 115°F
US Customary – Metric

Instructions
 

  • Add the bread flour, 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, rosemary, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk to combine.
    2 cups bread flour
    1 ½ tablespoons dried rosemary
    1 tablespoon instant yeast
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup parmesan cheese
  • Gently toss in the Parmesan cheese cubes in the flour mixture until they're well coated.
  • Pour the warm water into the mixing bowl, and use a dough hook on low speed to combine the ingredients. Mix until all the flour in the bowl gets incorporated. Feel the dough and determine if it needs more flour. The dough should feel tacky to the touch. If it DOES NOT need additional flour, increase the mixer speed to medium (notch 2 on a KitchenAid) and mix for 3-4 more minutes. If the dough DOES need more flour, see the next step.
    1 ½ cups water
  • If the dough is too sticky and wet, add extra all-purpose flour (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough feels slightly tacky to the touch. The dough will appear rough and bumpy due to the rosemary and Parmesan cheese.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and form into a rough ball. If any cubes of cheese fall out, simply add them back to the dough as you shape it.
  • Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Transfer the bowl to a warm, draft-free area and let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes up to 2 hours).
  • While the dough rises, place a large Dutch oven and its lid into the oven and preheat to 450°F (*See note below).
  • After the dough rises, transfer it to a large piece of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a tight ball and ensure it's centered on the parchment paper.
  • Carefully place the parchment paper and dough into the hot Dutch oven and cover with the hot lid. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F, and bake for 40 minutes then remove the lid.
  • After 40 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 slice of bread. Actual calories will vary.
  • We use a hot oven bake for this recipe which gives the bread more oven spring and a lighter crumb. If you’d prefer to use a cold oven bake (don’t preheat the oven or the dutch oven), that also works. The bread won’t bake as tall, and it will be a wider loaf.
  • Add shredded parmesan cheese on the top of bread during the last 15 minutes of baking. You’ll have melted cheese on top when the bread is done.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 257mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 61IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg
4.55 from 75 votes (72 ratings without comment)

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25 Comments

    1. Hi Sue!

      Yes, you can! It freezes for about 2 months before the flavor and texture begin to diminish. Hope that helps. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂

      Reply

  2. Hi, I’ve made this bread a number of times and love it! If you wanted the bread to be taller (for making sandwiches) could you double the recipe?

    Reply

    1. Hi Melissa!

      We’re so glad you love the recipe! Doubling the recipe might work. Another option that may work well is using a loaf pan. If you’re able to easily form the dough into a cylinder shape and place it into a 9×5-inch greased loaf pan, the sides should give the bread something to press against and “crawl” up. That may give it more height. Hopefully one of those methods will work. Have a fantastic weekend! 🙂

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I have made this bread a bunch of times, and everyone who has tried it loves it. I changed it up a bit recently using basil instead of Rosemary, and added minced garlic and sundried tomatoes. OMG so good!!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sara!

      This bread can be made on a pizza stone (the bottom of the bread may get crunchy) or baking sheet. Since it’s not enclosed in a Dutch oven, the interior may have a slightly different texture. It will still be tasty! 🙂 Hope this helps. Have a great week!

      Reply

      2. @Kim, my Dutch oven is small!! And it’s currently in the oven, I hope the bread will be okay ? 😩

      3. @Emily I hope everything turned out okay 🙂 Let us know how if ran into any issues. John-Co-owner More than Meat and Potatoes & Berly’s Kitchen

  7. Made two today! One for my family and one to take to a get together. It was simple and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    1. Hi Debbie!

      Yes, absolutely! Fresh rosemary would taste great in this recipe. 🙂 I’d recommend increasing the amount quite a bit to get the same flavor. The ratio is usually 1 tablespoon of fresh for every 1 teaspoon of dried.

      Reply

    1. Hi Allie!

      We’ve never tried to prepare the dough and save it with this specific recipe. However, on other recipes (not published on the site) I’ve made the dough, placed it in a large glass bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and placed it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. This would be while it should be rising at room temperature but instead it will develop flavor and complete a cold rise in the refrigerator. Then, take it out when you’re ready to bake it, and shape it while it’s cold. Bake as written in the recipe. Again, we haven’t tried it, but it may work. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Gayle!

      We’re so happy you enjoyed the bread! Thanks so much for giving it a try. We hope you have a lovely week! 🙂

      Reply