I think one of the best natural air fresheners around the house is the smell of bread baking in the oven. Something about that scent makes your tummy feel hungry all of a sudden, and at the same time it makes the house feel warm (probably because of the heat from the oven!) and comforting (because there will be food soon!).
I had some friends over last weekend for afternoon tea and I made a fresh loaf of rosemary bread. Very simple and no frills, and turned out to be nice, soft and chewy, with that hint of earthy rosemary flavor. Dipped in extra virgin olive oild and balsamic vinegar, you really won't need any other filling.
For the dough I use around 3 cups of plain white flour, a couple of sprigs of rosemary (minced), mixed with a very good glug of extra virgin olive oil (around 1/2 cup maybe!) and about a teaspoon of salt. In about 1.5 cups of warm water I dissolve 2 tsps of dried active yeast and about a teaspoon of white sugar. When that develops a foamy head I pour it onto the flour and knead (well I use the dough hook of my Kitchenaide, set to speed 1 for the first 2 minutes then to speed 2 when the ingredients are incorporated). When the dough is smooth and elastic, I just turn it onto an oiled bowl and leave it to rise in a warm spot, covered with a tea towel.
When doubled in size I just punch the air out and shape it into the desired loaf. Sometimes I make them into little rolls.I drizzle extra olive oil on top and maybe another sprinkling of the herbs used. You can easily alter the flavor by changing the herb, and anything pretty much works - thyme, parsley, oregano, black olives - anything you have at hand.
sprinkled with sea salt
and it bakes quite easily too
around 25min in a 200C oven
these rolls were from the same dough but shaped differently
and i sprinkled some chili flakes on top
rolls in a bread basket - yum.
or maybe with a filling of your choice
or served with steamed mussels!
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