re: Homemade Bread

This is one I've used quite a bit since I grow the herbs in my garden to make it. Not only does the bread baking make the house smell good, but the herbs used in it really kick things up a few notches in the aroma dept.


This is a recipe I've used from the La. cookbook titled "Talk About Good". I did change a couple things by making 2 loaves instead of 1 large one and I also don't use any appliances to mix my dough and prefer to do it by hand.

Herb-Parmesan Bread

2 cups warm water
2 pkg. dry yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 tbsp. herbs of your choice. I find sweet basil and rosemary are great in this recipe.
4 1/4 cups bread flour

Sprinkle yeast over the water in a large bowl. Let stand for a few minutes and stir. Add sugar, salt, butter, 1/2 cup cheese, herbs, 3 cups flour and beat till well blended, then add the rest of the flour and repeat until a smooth ball of dough forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Grease and flour a couple loaf pans and set the oven at 375 degrees. Beat down the dough and divide into halves. Place the halves in the loaf pans and let rise for 15 minutes, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the loaves and bake for 55 minutes.

The loaves get nice and brown, are firm to the touch and slice easily for making sandwiches, toast, etc.