Herbal Bread

Allen: Now, I know you all use traditional European recipes for your breads. The rosemary bread that you create, I like very much. How much rosemary do you put in a loaf?

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi, Il Fornaio Restaurant, Carmel, CA: Depends on how much flour, usually we do about a pound, a pound and a half loaf, so it a pound and a half you just want to put about a little I would say, about this much. You don't want to overpower it too much. You still want to have the texture of the bread, the flavor of the bread with just a little hint of rosemary.

Allen: I've noticed in the bread that you use the entire leaf of the rosemary, you don't chop it up.

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi: No, you actually want to see the herbs themselves inside.

Allen: See the leaf that distinguishes it as rosemary.

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi: As rosemary.

Allen: I mean, it's really part of the decoration of the bread.

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi: It is, it's like the parsley on the plates.

Allen: Il Forniao is Italian for the baker which is what you all hang your entire reputation on.

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi: Yes we have a good response from people.

Allen: Well, it's all because of this wonderful bread you're baking.

Chef Alessio Giannuzzi: Well, we try to do it a good job and we are succeeding so far.