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Another great
bread recipe featuring herbs. This should should definitely should go into your "A" file.
Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints:
Secrets to using the bread
machine, About
yeast in bread making,
Sourdough Starter,
Quick
Breads.
Check out all of Linda's great
Bread Recipes
for your bread making.
Parmesan-Herb French Bread
Recipe Type:
Yeast Bread,
Herbs
Yields: 1 large loaf
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely-chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 1/4 cups bread
flour plus 1 tablespoon
3 teaspoons instant
yeast
(I use Red Star Instant Active Dry Yeast)
Cornstarch Glaze (see below)
Toppings (see toppings below)
Cornmeal (optional for dusting pan)
Preparation:
Place all ingredients except cornmeal and topping mixture in bread pan of your bread machine. Select dough setting and press start.
When dough cycle has finished, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. (I use a nonstick cooking spray).
Form dough into an oval, cover with a cotton towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
After resting, turn dough bottom side up and press to flatten. Fold dough into an envelope by folding the top 1/3 of the way to the bottom. Then fold the bottom a 1/3 of the way over the top. Then press dough with the palm of your hand to make an indentation down the center of the dough and fold the top completely to the bottom, sealing the seam with the palm of your hand. Place on a jelly roll pan dusted with cornmeal. Cover and place in a warm spot to rise, approximately 30 minutes or until dough has doubled.
Oven Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit. Sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; Always remember, the longer the rise time, the more sourdough flavor.
Cool or Refrigerator Rise: If I don't have the time
to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the
completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the
refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I
usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.
As this is a longer rise time, it improves the sourdough flavor in your finished
bread.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
After rising, slash the bread with a very sharp knife making three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes.
Brush or spray the top of the bread with cold water and bake for 10 minutes. With a pastry brush, brush
the prepared Cornstarch Glaze (see below) over top of the bread; sprinkle the topping mixture (combination of parmesan cheese and rosemary) over the top. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until nicely browned. (A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.)
 This
is the type of thermometer that I use in my cooking.
I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking
and baking. I, personally, use the
RT600C Thermometer
(show in the photo on the right). To learn more about this inexpensive excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just
click on the underlined: RT600C Thermometer.
Makes 1 loaf.
Topping:
3 tablespoons finely-grated parmesan cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons finely-chopped fresh rosemary
In a small bowl, combine the parmesand cheese and
rosemary; set aside until ready to use.
Cornstarch Glaze:
NOTE: This is a typical mixture that professional bakers use to get that characteristic sheen on breads. I keep this mixture in my refrigerator to use on all the breads I bake.
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch.
In a small saucepan, with a small whisk, stir together water and cornstarch. Heat mixture to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce heat,
until mixture thickens and is translucent. Cool. Brush on loaf about 10 minutes before baking is finished.
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