Herbed Bread

I'm sorry it took so long for me to share this bread with you. It's really good and I don't know why I have been hiding it. It's also spectacularly simple to make in the stand mixer, but I think it would be pretty simple done by hand. It just requires a bit more arm work. I used thyme as my herb of choice and let me tell you, this bread makes an excellent grilled cheese sandwich. I didn't get the bloom I had hoped for, but even with the all-purpose flour, this was a nice, light loaf. Light in terms of weight...with a stick of butter in the mix and topped with olive oil, this is not a recipe I will be making every week, but it is definitely a nice, fast replacement for my regular no knead recipe.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. I am off to get ready for (another) wedding. Have a good one!





Herbed Bread
(From The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

20 ounces all-purpose flour (use bread flour if you have it)
8 ounces water
4 ounces melted butter with chopped herbs (I used about 2 tablespoons of thyme)
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon instant yeast
Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. You can also do this by hand in a large bowl. Mix or knead for about 10 minutes until you achieve a windowpane with the dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit 1-4 hours until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has doubled, knead for 1-2 minutes to let the yeast redistribute.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the dough with olive oil and sprinkle the top with extra kosher salt. Cut a large "X" into the top of the dough. Bake in a covered cast iron pan* for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until browned.

*I used a stainless steel dutch oven since I don't have a cast iron (my birthday is coming up though, wink).

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