This bread is a great addition to any meal. It is especially great with soups, sandwiches, and breakfast foods. We personally toast this bread to accompany our eggs of choice every morning that we have it on hand. Feel free to substitute your preferred cheeses and spices. Please see images of our process below with an easy-to-follow recipe. We hope you enjoy!
Above is a picture of the major steps involved in the bread making. Pictures 1 and 2 represent the yeast, sugar, and water mixture before and after it blooms. Pictures 5 and 6 show what the loaf looks like before and after rising.
Recipe:
Ingredients
2 + ¼ tsp active dry yeast (contents of one packet)
1 tsp sugar
1 C warm water
3 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper flakes opt.
½ C cheese of choice
Materials
Large mixing bowl
5 qt or larger dutch oven (heat safe to 500 F)
Parchment paper
Instructions
1. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water (100-110 F) in a large mixing bowl. Let bloom for 5 min
Mix should bubble up and get foamy, if not, your yeast is dead and you need to start over with new yeast.
Do not use too hot or too cold of water as the yeast will be killed
2. Once foamy, add half the flour and stir until just combined
3. Add salt, herbs and cheese and stir to combine
4. Mix in the rest of the flour until a shaggy dough forms
No need to knead, just mix until the dough forms a messy ball and no huge clumps of flour remain.
5. Cover bowl and rest in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size
Place a clean dish towel over the bowl and set in the sun, notice warm, not hot.
6. After dough has risen, add your dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat to 500 F. As the oven is preheating, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface. Form dough into a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper for easy transfer.
Make sure parchment paper is heat safe to at least 450F, cut large enough that you are able to pick up the loaf by the corners of the paper. This will make it easier to transfer into the hot dutch oven, and remove once baked
Try to cover cubes of cheese by pinching dough over the top. Cheese will melt out if it is showing
7. Let formed loaf rest for 30-45 min
8. Once preheated, take out the dutch oven and transfer proofed loaf into the pot.
9. Cover pot and bake in the 500 F oven for 23 minutes.
10. Uncover and bake for 3-5 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy.
11. Once done take out the dutch oven and remove your loaf immediately.
Dutch oven and loaf are very hot, use oven mitts.
12. Cool completely (if you can wait ;)) before cutting to preserve the texture of the bread.
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