Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread with Crispy Crust and Gooey Cheese
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
135 min
Servings
8
Bake this bread loaf to serve eight people for a week along with pasta dishes and sandwiches. Other snacks can be made with leftover bread. Italian and other spices give the interior of the bread loaf a strong flavor and the exterior a crunchy texture. Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses are also part of this recipe.
Warm water, sugar, and dry yeast are mixed and allowed to foam. Dry ingredients, including flour, salt, Italian herb mix, and the cheeses, mozzarella and Parmesan, are added. The dry Italian herb mix contains basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary and adds flavor to the bread. Mozzarella cheese is added to the bread. Parmesan cheese adds a pungent flavor. A dusting of flour on the surface of the dough helps prevent sticking during kneading.
After kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, the dough should be soft and stretchy, not crumbly or gooey. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap or a damp cloth until it doubles in size. Punch the dough down and shape it into loaves. Let the loaves rise for 30 minutes. Insufficient rising time will result in heavy bread. Excessive rising time will produce overly airy bread. Watch the rise of the dough rather than the amount of time.
Bake with a shallow pan of water in the oven at 450°F for steam until the bread is lightly browned, hollow-sounding when tapped, and 200-210°F internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Cool bread fully on a wire rack before slicing. Serve bread with pasta or in sandwiches or with olive oil and sea salt.
Why we keep this one around
- Makes eight servings per batch, A whole loaf of bread can provide multiple servings of other foods, including pasta dishes and other snacks.
- Cool on a rack before serving to keep the slices from falling apart and allow for easier preparation in advance.
- Sliced and frozen bread is useful because it allows you to use individual or multiple slices as needed without thawing the entire loaf of bread.
- Slices of pizza heat well because the cheese and crust can be reheated without preparing a new pizza crust.
- Batch baked breads offer multiple recipe options during the week.
- Batch-baked bread can be served with spaghetti sauce, made into sandwiches, or drizzled with olive oil.
- The dough includes Italian seasoning, This can be found at most grocery stores. Italian seasoning adds the flavors of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
Ingredients
- •4 cups all-purpose flour
- •1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- •1 ¾ cups warm water (about 110°F)
- •1 tablespoon salt
- •1 tablespoon sugar
- •2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs (like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
- •1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- •½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- •extra flour (for dusting)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast.
- 2
Let the yeast mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- 3
Add the flour, salt, dried herbs, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese to the yeast mixture.
- 4
Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- 5
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- 6
Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- 7
Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl.
- 8
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- 9
Punch down the risen dough to release air.
- 10
Shape the dough into a loaf or place it in a greased bread pan.
- 11
Cover again and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- 12
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- 13
Place a shallow pan of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam.
- 14
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- 15
Check that the internal temperature reaches 200–210°F.
- 16
Let the bread cool on a wire rack before slicing.
- 17
Serve warm or at room temperature.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
200
Calories
Reviews
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