Try this Italian Herb Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 39.1769321120003 g
- Cholesterol 4.914 mg
- Fat 2.72442908349357 g
- Fiber 1.36284905522365 g
- Protein 7.83936439388932 g
- Saturated Fat 1.01823729405591 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (64g)
- Sodium 57.9927721756087 mg
- Sugar 37.8140830567766 g
- Trans Fat 0.372714509077165 g
- Calories 217 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix yeast, warm water, and white sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for five minutes, or until mixture becomes foamy.
- Stir olive oil, salt, herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, cheese, and 3 cups flour into the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in the next three cups of flour. Dough will be stiff.
- Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and rubbery. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to cover the surface of the dough with oil. Cover with a damp linen dish towel. Allow to rise for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Punch dough down to release all the air. Shape into two loaves. Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet, or into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about a 30 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Remove loaves from pan(s), and let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Baking artisan loaves at home frequently stumbles on a lack of specialized bakery equipment like commercial deck ovens or proofing cabinets. This formula works around that constraint by utilizing standard household cookie sheets or nine-by-five-inch loaf pans combined with a simple warm-water activation step. Maintaining the water temperature precisely at 110 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the active dry yeast blooms without thermal shock, yielding the necessary carbon dioxide for structural lift.
Incorporating six cups of bread flour creates a stiff matrix that demands sustained physical engagement. Kneading must continue for five to ten minutes until the ball transforms from shaggy to smooth and rubbery, developing the gluten strands required to hold the dried basil, oregano, and grated romano cheese evenly throughout the crumb. When the initial rise reaches the one-hour mark, deflating the mass expels excess gas pockets before the final thirty-minute secondary proof.
Evaluating doneness requires a sensory approach rather than digital instrumentation. Tapping the bottom of the baked loaf should produce a hollow acoustic resonance, indicating the interior crumb has set completely. Allowing the bread to rest on wire racks for at least fifteen minutes before slicing prevents the internal steam from condensing and gumming up the knife blade.
