Rosemary Ciabatta Rolls

Adapted from The Big Book of Bread: Home-Baking by Anne Sheasby

Bread machine instructions vary; add the ingredients in order recommended by your instruction booklet if they differ from the ones here.

1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3-2/3 cups white bread flour + extra for dusting
1 tsp each: salt, granulated sugar
1 tsp fast-action yeast
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
10 small rosemary sprigs (optional)
Milk for brushing

Pour water, then oil into loaf pan of bread machine. Sprinkle in 3-2/3 cups flour to cover water. Add salt in one corner, sugar at the other. Make small well in centre of flour and add yeast. Set machine to dough setting and press start. Add chopped rosemary when machine signals final extra ingredients can be added.

When machine finishes, transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Punch it down lightly. (Dough will be soft and sticky.) Use floured hands to divide into 10 equal portions, then roll and shape each portion into a round or oval. Divide rolls among 2 lightly greased baking sheets, spacing well apart. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

Lightly brush tops of rolls with milk, then dust with flour. Poke small rosemary sprig on top of each roll (if desired). Bake in preheated 400F oven 20 minutes, or until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 10.