If you love the Italian country loaf and dipping sauce from Carrabbas then you’ll love this easy copycat recipe.
I used to live in walking distance of a Carrabbas. It was pretty amazing. I would walk over with friends for happy hour all the time. I LOVED their food (and still love their food, we just no longer live near one) I was always on a mission to recreate their dishes at home. Now that I’m no longer close to a Carrabbas, I love to make this copycat Carrabba’s bread with dipping sauce at home.
Despite the variety of ingredients for this bread, it is still best served with a flavorful olive oil dipping sauce. I usually throw this bread in my bread maker but if you don’t have one you can still make this bread at home and I will include instructions for both ways below.
Ingredients needed
For the bread, you will need:
- Dry active yeast: One packet or about 2 ¼ teaspoons if you’re measuring yeast out.
- Water: You’ll need warm water.
- Sugar: You’ll need a little bit of white sugar for this bread.
- Olive oil: You’ll need high quality, extra virgin olive oil.
- All purpose flour: The base of the bread.
- Italian seasoning blend, garlic powder, dried basil, dried rosemary, and salt: Yes, the bread at Carrabbas is very plain but it does have a little seasoning in it.
For the dipping sauce, you will need:
- Salt: Use sea salt, if possible
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Italian seasoning blend
- Garlic powder
- Dried rosemary
- Dried basil
- Onion powder
- High quality extra virgin olive oil
How to make this recipe
By hand
- To make this bread by hand, start by adding the water and yeast then slowly adding all the ingredients together and mix well.
- Knead the dough and then let it rise for approximately one hour in a warm place.
- Knead the dough again and then place it into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
With a bread machine
If you have a bread maker then simply combine all the ingredients in order listed and let your bread maker work its magic. It should be set to a medium loaf.
For the dipping sauce
Add all of the spices to a large serving bowl and then add olive oil until the spices are distributed to your personal taste.
How to store leftovers
Wrap and store any leftover bread at room temperature. Since it doesn’t have any preservatives I recommend eating within 1-2 days of making.
For the olive oil dip, store it an airtight container (I used a small glass Pyrex container) and keep at room temperature. Be aware that the flavors will get stronger the longer it sits.
Other copycat recipes:
- Copycat Maggiano’s Alfredo
- Copycat Cheddar’s Dijon Chicken
- Copycat Outback Alice Springs Chicken
- Copycat Bob Evans Pot Roast
- Copycat Carrabba’s Dessert Rosa
- Copycat Carrabba’s Alfredo
Copycat Carrabba’s Bread with Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- Bread machine (will also include recipes for oven)
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 packet dry active yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dipping Sauce
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- high quality extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Bread Machine Instructions
- If you have a bread maker then simply combine all the ingredients and let your bread maker work its magic. It should be set to a medium loaf.
By Hand Instructions
- To make this bread by hand, start by adding the water and yeast then slowly adding all the ingredients together and mix well.
- Knead the dough and then let it rise for approximately one hour in a warm place.
- Knead the dough again and then place it into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
Dipping Sauce
- Add all of the spices to a large serving bowl and then add olive oil until the spices are distributed to your personal taste.
Diane says
How much EVOO in the dipping sauce?
Audrey says
Hi Diane, at the restaurant they start with a teaspoon of the mix then fill a small saucer with olive oil then they refill as necessary. I would recommend you pour your olive oil and then add a little bit of the mixture at a time to taste. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Stephanie says
I know you use your bread machine, so you may not have the answer. I am about to try this recipe, and it will be the very first time I ever bake bread lol. I’m wondering how long you should knead this for when making it by hand? The Internet info on bread kneading times is extensive, and now I’m worried I’ll overknead or underknead, and my bread won’t have the Carrabba’s texture.
Audrey says
Hi Stephanie, you’ll want to knead for about ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. You may want to put some more flour down while kneading. Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Mary says
How do you get the water to be the right temperature? since I know one of the many challenges of bread making is getting the water to the right temperature so it doesnt kill the yeast.
Audrey says
Hi Mary, that is a very good point you bring up. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast but if it is warm it’ll help the yeast grow. If the water is warm (not hot) or even lukewarm to the touch it should be fine.
Tiffany Martin says
It’s in my bread machine now but I want to take it out and shape it into a longer loaf kinda like subway. Can I do that and bake it without a long loaf pan?
Audrey says
Yes, you can shape it and bake it in your oven instead.
Heather Hollingsworth says
I made about .5-1 cup of the oil for my store-bought Naan bread, soooo delicious. I used the seasoned oil as sauce and made my take on a Mediterranean steak flatbread pizza [sautéed onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli florets and your choice of cheese (feta, mozzarella, provolone, etc)]. Mouth-watering good!
Audrey says
Your flatbread pizza sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing this idea for the sauce 🙂
Jane Mazzei says
For bread machine – What size loaf.. 1, 1 1/2 or 2 lb?
Thx.
Two Pink Peonies says
Set it to a medium loaf which would be 1 1/2 lb.
Angela Kelley says
Hey – i have not yet made this recipe but frequently eat at Carrabba’s and was looking for a ‘copy cat’ bread recipe and.. came across this site. But wanted to ask about the herb spices in the bread recipe, i have never noticed anything but pure white sinful bread at the restaurant. Is your Carrabba’s different?
thanks; will still of course try this recipe (and dipping sauce)
Audrey says
Hi Angela, the spices are very subtle in this bread.
Kaitlyn says
What program setting should I use on my bread maker? White?
Two Pink Peonies says
Yes, the white setting.
Marissa Holtz says
Honestly making bread has always been so hard for me! The taste is usually not great and the directions complicated. This is the first bread my husband and I have liked so much were adding it to our Holliday dinners!
Two Pink Peonies says
I am so glad you liked this recipe!! Thank you so much for your feedback.
Carla says
I have tried a million or so bread recipes for use with olive dip, and this one is by far the very best! I did not try the dip recipe, but I am sure it is lovely also. Thanks for sharing!