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 (340 ml) 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.*Skip to Tips.*Skip to FAQs including storage information.