Baked Italian Herb and Cheese Bread Loaf
Aromatic homemade Italian herb and cheese bread loaf with a golden crust and soft, flavorful interior. Perfect for dinner parties or cozy family meals.
Equipment
- loaf pan
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour
- 7 g active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 320 ml warm water (110°F)
- 15 ml sugar (1 tbsp)
- 12 ml salt (2 tsp)
- 45 ml olive oil divided (3 tbsp)
- 150 g shredded mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups)
- 60 g grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 g fresh basil chopped (2 tbsp)
- 15 ml fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
- 15 ml fresh rosemary chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 5 ml dried Italian seasoning (1 tsp)
- 2 ml garlic powder (1/2 tsp)
- 2 ml onion powder (1/2 tsp)
- Coarse sea salt for topping
- 30 g butter melted (2 tbsp)
- Fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. If mixture doesn't foam, start over with fresh yeast.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise in warm place for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size. The dough should spring back slowly when poked.
- Punch down dough and roll into a 12x16 inch rectangle. Brush with remaining olive oil, sprinkle with minced garlic, fresh herbs, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Roll tightly from long side, pinch seam to seal, and place seam-side down in greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes until dough crowns the pan. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°F (88°C). Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.