Best fresh herb bread recipe
Loaded with fresh parsley, chives, cheese, garlic and olive oil, this fresh herb bread with yeast dough is one of the simplest and most delicious breads you’ll ever make. The yeast dough is cut into rolls, rolled into a parsley chives cheese olive oil mixture after the first rise.
Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- 26 cm(10 inch) spring-form (or cake tin with removable base)
Ingredients
for the dough
- 430 g (15.2 oz/ 3 2/3 cups) plain flour/ all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 250 ml (8.5 fl.oz/ 1 cup) lukewarm water
- 2½ teaspoons dry yeast (1 package of dry yeast (7 g/ 0.25 oz))
- 2 tablepoons flour (to dust the working surface)
For herb - cheese mixture
- 60 ml (2 fl.oz/ 1/4 cup) olive oil
- 110 g (3.9 oz/ 1 cup) grated cheese mild
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
Instructions
- Grease the cake tin with oil, including the sides and line the bottom with parchment paper. If you're using a Bundt pan or bread pan, line the pan with parchment paper. Add 2 tablespoons flour (from 430 g (15.2 oz)), yeast, sugar to lukewarm water. Using a spoon stir well and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile mix the remaining flour, salt and olive oil in a bowl until well combined. After 10 minutes, pour the yeast mixture to the flour – salt mixture and knead the dough very well. I normally knead my dough like this: If I’m kneading it with the hand mixer, I knead the dough for about 8 minutes at low speed and then for 5 minutes at medium high speed. With the kitchen machine, I knead the dough for 7 minutes at low speed and for 3 more minutes at medium high speed. With the hands, I knead the dough for 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky when kneading with your hands, just oil your hands.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, grease the bowl and put it back. Cover the bowl with cling film and then with kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes at room temperature or until it has doubled in size.
- In the meantime rinse and finely chop fresh parsley and chives. Peel and finely chop garlic cloves as well. Grate the cheese if you're using ungrated cheese. In a second bowl combine chopped herbs, garlic, cheese and olive oil. Mix well using a spoon and season with salt.
- Lightly flour the silicone pastry mat or cutting board. Tip the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and carefully shape it into a long baguette form. You want to retain the air bubbles in the dough intact so that you'll have a nicely fluffy bread.
- Cut baguette (long) loaf into approximately 10 equal rolls – cut it in the middle first. This makes it easier to cut equal rolls. Roll each dough roll in the cheese mixture and arrange it in the prepared cake tin or bread pan. If you have some cheesy herb mixture remaining, just sprinkle this on top.
- Cover the bread pan with kitchen towel and let rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C (392 °F), with both top and bottom heat.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely golden brown. If you’re using a smaller bread dish, just be sure to increase the baking time. Because the smaller the baking dish, the longer the baking time. Also try to use a toothpick or a fork to check the bread for doneness